


Again?

by SummerRoses0612



Series: Avengers Watch [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: #Team Iron Man, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers watch Iron Man 3, Awesome Clint Barton, Chronic Pain, Civil War Team Iron Man, Clint Barton makes Dirty Jokes, DO NOT COPY, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Hurt Tony Stark, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Iron Man 3, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Natasha Isn't Amused, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov is So Done, No Team as Family, Not Pepper Potts Friendly, Not Rhodey Friendly, Not Team As Family, Past Child Abuse, Past Medical Torture, Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Natasha Romanov, Timeline What Timeline, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Still Has Arc Reactor, avengers watch the movies, do not copy to another site, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29328366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerRoses0612/pseuds/SummerRoses0612
Summary: Everyone always says third time's a charm so when the Avengers are locked into the living room again the only thing going through Tony's head is "Again?".ORAvengers watching Iron Man 3
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Tony Stark, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark/Thor
Series: Avengers Watch [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153661
Comments: 34
Kudos: 131





	1. Research

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly because uptrends, Nightshadow913, MarieSophia, and a couple more all asked about these stories.

The predictability of waking up in the living room without a single idea of what had happened and voices around him just had Tony sighing. He had barely opened his eyes before Bruce and Thor were picking him up and stuffing him on the couch between them. Everyone was in the same spot as always, Nick some sort of wall. 

Since the last round of 'Tony Stark: A Movie', the team had been tentative colleagues. They tried to pretend as if nothing had even vaguely abusive ever happened and it just made for a very fake environment. Tony wasn't taking their shit, being polite but nothing more. 

Tony just stared at the screen, waiting for the movie to start and ignoring all attempts to get his attention.

**The movie began with a black screen and Tony's voice is the first thing the audience heard. As he spoke, three iron man suits blew up. 'A famous man once said, 'We create our own demons.' Who said that? What does that even mean.'**

' **Doesn't matter. I said it because he said it. So, now, he was famous and it's basically getting said by two well-known guys. I don't, uh...' Tony sighed 'I'm going to start again. Let's track this from the beginning.'**

Tony winced, tension appearing in his shoulders as he realized where this was probably going to go. 

**The screen then went black and the words '1999. Bern, Switzerland. New Year's Eve.' flashed across the screen.**

**The scene then cuts to a party and Tony was with a pretty young woman, Maya Hanson, who blew a party blower at him, both of them laughing. Tony's name badge has 'You Know Who I Am' written on it.**

"Predictable, Stark," Rhodey teased before going stiff as he remembered that they weren't really friends anymore. 

**"Half hour till the ball drops." Happy warned, turning around from where he was standing nearby.**

**"Hey, do you wanna..." Tony began but he was interrupted by another guest who cut in.**

**"Tony Stark? Great speech, man!"**

**"I got you, pal." Happy said with an eye roll as he ushered the guy away.**

**"I gave a speech? How was it" Tony asks.**

Tony could see how much it hurt Rogers to not say anything snide, Wanda not having the same restraint.

"How drunk did you get that time?" 

Natasha and Steve both visibly stopped themselves from laughing. 

**"Edifying." Happy replied.**

**"Unintelligible." The woman adds.**

**"Really? It's my favorite kind. A winning combo." Tony said as he led her through the party.**

**"Where are we going?" She asked, looking unsure.**

**"Uh, to town, on each other. Probably back in your room because I also want to see your research." Tony said, confidently.**

**"Okay, you can see my research, but that's...I'm not gonna show you my "town."' She replied.**

"Good on her," Pepper said, acting like the jealous ex that she didn't have any right to be. 

Steve clearly agreed with her but one look from Fury had them both backtracking. 

**"Mr. Stark." Yinsen turns away from the group of guests he was with and introduced himself. "Ho Yinsen."**

**"Ah, I finally met a man called 'Ho.'" Tony said with a charming smile.**

Tony flinched at his words, memories of freezing stone and pain overwhelming him. Thor and Bruce just held him through the storm, not letting him lose his reality completely. 

**"Come here," Tony said as Maya attempted to escape.**

"The girl just wanted to get away," Natasha said with a condescending tone, enjoying the way Tony had to throw his masks up after his flashback.

**"I would like to introduce you to our guest, Dr. Wu," Yinsen said as he steered Tony towards another man.**

**"Oh, this guy. Hey," Tony said in fake recognition, shaking the guy's hand.**

**"Mr. Stark," He replied.**

**"You're a heart doctor. She's going to need a cardiologist after I..." Tony said crudely, then proceeding to make a noise on the party blower. The man looked very uncomfortable as Tony led Maya away.**

" **Bye," She said, sheepishly before following the billionaire.**

Tony could see several in the room having to stop themselves from laughing, smirking at the amount of effort it was taking them. Bruce and Thor didn't bother, chuckling and holding the smaller man closer to them as the movie played on. 

**"Perhaps another time?" Yinsen asked, attempting to salvage the situation.**

**'It started in Bern, Switzerland. 1999. The old days.' Tony's voiceover continued as the screen showed Tony and Maya and a load of other people walking down the corridor towards a lift.**

**"Mr. Stark!" A young blonde man with a walking stick and a limp trying to get Tony's attention.**

**'I never thought they would come back to bite me. Why would they?' The voiceover continued.**

**"Oh, wow! Hey, Tony! Aldrich Killian. I'm a big fan of your work," The young man introduced himself as he caught up with them.**

Pepper winced, memories of fire and restraints around her wrists reminding her exactly who the man became. 

**"My work?" Maya asked.**

**"Who isn't? He means me," Tony said cockily, only those closest to him able to see the way he was cringing in embarrassment.**

Bruce held his partners closer, seeing the way Tony just wanted to be done with this and refusing to speak if he didn't have to so the movie didn't stop. 

**"Well, of course, but, Ms. Hansen, my organization's been tracking your research since year two of MIT," Killian continued as they entered the lift.**

**"Yeah, we're full," Tony said as Killian was still outside the lift but Killian just ducked in under Happy's arm "Oh, wow, he made it. He made the cut,"**

**"What floor you going to, pal?" Happy asked, polite but colder than usual.**

"Did he not get the hint?" Bruce asked, mostly confused at the guy's attitude more than his partner's actions. 

"I guess not," Pepper said bitterly, obviously not done being petty over everything that happened despite it not actually being Tony's fault. 

**"Well, now, that is an appropriate question. The ground floor, actually, of a proposal I'm putting together myself. It's a privately funded think tank called Advanced Idea Mechanics," Killian replied, handing the girl, Maya, two business cards.**

**"Uh...She'll take both," Tony directed, taking two and keeping one for himself. "One to throw away and one to not call,"**

**"'Advanced Idea Mechanics' or 'AIM,' for short. Do you get it?' Killian asked, pushing even after Maya's obvious discomfort.**

"Even if he hated you he should have seen how badly the girl wanted out of the situation," Steve said, his 40's upbringing cursing the man for making the woman uncomfortable. 

Tony just shook his head wordlessly, knowing where this was going and not wanting a single part of it to be seen by these people. 

**"I see that because it's on your T-shirt," Tony said, patronizingly.**

**"Aw!" Killian replies. The lift then opened and everyone filed out.**

**"Ladies, follow the mullet. Ladies first," Tony said, slipping an insult in with an ease that made Killian think he wasn't even getting mocked.**

Bruce held onto Tony harder at the words, his chest shaking against his partner's back in silent laughter. 

**"Thank you, I'll call you.," Maya promised Killian as she exited the lift.**

Tony just shook his head, remembering the way her eyes looked void of life on the concrete. 

**"I'm titillated by the notion of working with you," Tony decided, his eyes saying he wanted away.**

**"Yeah?" Killian replied, hopefully.**

**"I'll ditch these clowns. I'll see you up on the roof in five minutes. Just gonna try and get my beak wet real quick. You know what I'm talking about?" Tony said as he exited.**

Steve and Wanda both winced at the crude language, their twin expressions making Tony laugh. Steve looked like he was about to put his hands over the girl's ears. He ignored the dirty looks he got with his amusement easily. 

**"I'll see you up there," Killian said gratefully as the lift closed.**

**"Damn betcha," Tony muttered as he walked away.**

**The scene cut to Tony and Maya in her hotel room, looking at a computer screen.**

"No way you remembered him 5 minutes later, let alone the next morning with how drunk you were," Natasha said snidely.

Tony neglected to mention that no matter how fucked up he was on drugs and alcohol he never forgot anything, letting the spies think that they knew that weakness of his. 

**"Come on! I thought that was just a theory," Tony replied, obviously impressed.**

**"Well, it was. If I'm right, we can access the area of the brain that governs repair..." Maya replied, trailing off as possibilities filled her thoughts.**

**"Wow," Tony remarked.**

**"...and chemically recode it," Maya continued on despite the interruption.**

**"That's incredible. Essentially, you're hacking into the genetic..." Tony commented.**

**"...operating system..." they said together.**

**"...of a living organism," Tony finished.**

**"Exactly!" Maya confirmed "Yes,"**

**"Wow!" Tony repeated in genuine awe.**

"Someone can really do that?" Wanda asked, looking a bit nervous.

Tony just ignored it, not liking how surprised she was that something like that existed when she had her powers that messed with minds. Steve said something, obviously just as confused, but everyone just focused on the screen. 

**"Is that...can you..." Maya began as she noticed Happy touching a plant that was in the room.**

**"What?" Happy asked, distracted.**

**"Can you not touch my plant? It's not...She doesn't like it. She prefers..." Maya tried to explain.**

**"She's not like the others," Tony comments. "Come on. Let's go in the bedroom,"**

Steve looked disgusted at his teammate, only not lecturing the playboy because of Nick's pointed glare. 

**Tony and Maya got up and walked towards the bedroom.**

**"Happy..." Tony called, indicating that he shouldn’t follow.**

**"Hmm. That's cute..." Maya said with a teasing smile.**

**"Leave her ficus alone," Tony ordered jokingly as he entered the bedroom.**

"Your disrespect-" Was all that Steve got out before Natasha put a gentle hand on his shoulder, seamlessly manipulating him into being quiet with her faux sympathy. 

**"Because. And, no, seriously, don't," Maya warned as she followed the billionaire.**

**"And you're starting with plants," Tony’s voice came from the other room, a statement. more than a question.**

Nick's hand twitched like he wanted to be taking notes. 

**"For now, yeah," Maya’s voice replied.**

**"Huh," Tony remarked.**

**"I'm calling it EXTREMIS," She said. Meanwhile, Happy turned around and broke off a piece of the plant.**

**The screen then cut to inside the bedroom. Maya and Tony were still talking as they sat on the bed.**

**"Well, it's..." Maya began.**

**"Human application," They both said together, Tony looking more excited by the minute.**

**"Exactly, exactly," Maya confided. "Dendritic revitalization,"**

**"It's revolutionary!" Tony commented.**

**"Disease prevention..." Maya listed.**

**"Change the world," Tony continued, the pair both having different conversations yet understanding each other completely.**

**"...even limb regrowth," Maya finished. Meanwhile, the plant appeared to regrow the part Happy snapped off.**

**"You're the most gifted woman I've ever met," Tony complimented, completely oblivious to the danger his friend was in.**

**"Wow," Maya muttered, clearly not expecting the genuine praise.**

"Don't you only compliment people when you want to sleep with them?" Pepper asked the low blow not even bothering Tony.

"That must be why I never complimented you much," Tony sniped back without even thinking about his response, only reviewing the words when Clint slow clapped. 

Clint, Bruce, Thor, and Tony all started laughing, Nick even cracking up a bit as Pepper trend bright red and looked to Rhodey for protection. The Colonel was obviously holding back his own amusement, the woman just going redder the longer she was without support. 

Natasha tried to defend the CEO, cracking up halfway through. 

**"In Switzerland," Tony added.**

**"Hmm. That's better," Maya commented reaching forward and taking off Tony’s glasses "Aw, you're seeing things,"**

**"This week," Tony edited, laughing along with Maya "You almost bought it, didn't you?"**

**Maya put on the glasses before they kissed, Happy closing the doors. . Suddenly there was an explosion and the glass in the door shattered.**

Most of the room looked ready to stop drop and roll at the noise, instincts battling with common sense for a moment. 

**"This is what I'm talking about, the glitch," Maya said after a moment of silence.**

**"Have you checked the telomerase algorithm?" Tony asked, not even bothering to ask questions.**

**"The what?" She asked, completely forgetting just how drunk the billionaire was as he offered a solution she had never heard of. Tony was suddenly tackled to the bed by Happy.**

**"Down! Stay down! Stay down, boss," Happy demanded.**

**"We're good," Tony countered, not bothering to try and fight the weight on top of him.**

**"Stay down," Happy insisted.**

"He was trying to help, man." Rhodey defended gently, forgetting completely that Tony wasn't that 13 year old who needed him in MIT. 

Tony just winced at the tone, not liking the way it made him bristle.

**"You... You're...You're right on me. I made it," Tony complained, patting Happy as the man got off him.**

**"What the hell was that?" Tony asked.**

**"What was that?" Happy echoed, looking annoyed.**

**"It's a glitch in my work. It's..." Maya tried to explain, visibly grasping for words.**

**"She was just talking about it. Glitches happen," Tony added.**

**"It's not Y2K," Happy protested.**

**Suddenly they realize that people were cheering, telling them that it was the new year.**

**"Hey! Happy New Year!" Tony exclaimed happily, the sobriety slowly coming back to him.**

**"Happy New Year," Happy said.**

**"Happy New Year," Maya repeated.**

**"All right. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." Tony said.**

**"You good?" Happy asked quietly.**

**"Yeah," Tony replied quickly.**

**"I'll be right outside," Happy promised as he walked towards the door.**

**"Okay, cool,"**

"You're not going to sleep with her.. Are you?" Thor asked, looking somewhere between amused and furious.

Tony just patted him gently, tone teasing and chiding as he shared a smile with Bruce.

"Just watch the movie, Point Break," 

**Tony’s voice-over then continued ‘So, why am I telling you this? Because I had just created demons and I didn't even know it.** **Yeah, those were good times. Then I moved on. After a brief soiree in an Afghan cave, I said goodbye to the party scene.** **I forgot that night in Switzerland. These days, I'm a changed man.’ Throughout this, the screen showed that Killian was still waiting for Tony on the roof. It then cut to the morning, Tony writing something on the back of his name card and Maya sitting at her desk in her hotel room, turning around as she hears the door shut and Tony leaving.**

"Damn, Stark," Clint said, the inflection in his voice amused and reprimanding in a way that made Tony agree, not want to lash out. 

**‘Present Day Malibu California’ appeared on the screen along with a large house on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.**

**A series of yells along with an injecting sound began.**

"What the hell?" Nick asked, his bewildered look making Tony laugh despite the tension in the room. 

**"Forty-six," Jarvis dutifully counted.**

**‘I'm different now.’ Tony’s voiceover added, ‘I'm... Well...’**

**"Forty-seven," Jarvis continued.**

**‘You know who I am.’ Tony said in the voiceover.**

**The scene cut to Tony's lab and DUM-E was wearing a party hat with ‘Dunce’ written on it.**

"Poor Dum-E," Rhodey said, apparently deciding to ignore the fact that he didn't really know Tony at all. 

**Tony was sat in a chair, injecting himself in the arm with a tissue covered in blood in his mouth.**

"Are you doing drugs!" Pepper and Steve yelled in tandem, both looking completely scandalized.

"Can you not just watch the movie like everyone else?" The billionaire asked, shaking his head at their predictable behavior. 

Both of them looked like they were going to argue before the movie started up again, stopping them in their tracks. 

**"Ow!" he yelled as he injected himself again, shaking out his hand and putting the metal injector down.**

**"Sir, please may I request just a few hours to calibrate..." Jarvis argued, tone saying he already knew the answer.**

**"No," Tony replied, injecting himself again and yelling at the pain.**

Bruce and Thor help Tony close to them, knowing that the way he was shouting meant that the pain was much worse than everyone else thought. High pain tolerance be damned, they both knew that that had to hurt like hell. 

**"Forty-eight," Jarvis continued.**

**Tony shouted again, pain obvious in the way he was shaking slightly and his eyes were wetter than normal.**

**"Micro-repeater implanting sequence complete," Tony said with barely hidden relief as he used the tissue to wipe the blood off his arm from the injections.**

**"As you wish, Sir," Jarvis said, "I've also prepared a safety briefing for you to entirely ignore,"**

**"Which I will," Tony replied easily, smiling at how well the AI knew him. "All right, let's do this,"**

**He sniffed and put the tissue down, obviously excited.**

**"DUM-E. Hi, DUM-E. How did you get that cap on your head? You earned it," He teased whilst looking over at DUM-E, who was sweeping the floor. "** **Hey. Hey!" The billionaire said as he went over to DUM-E, pausing to give a few punches to a punching pole with wooden spikes coming out of it.**

**"What are you doing out of the corner? You know what you did. Blood on my mat. Handle it," Tony ordered with obvious fondness as he pointed to something offscreen.**

Tony realized then that nobody realized that he thought of the bots as children, Steve's lack of response telling enough. 

"DUM-E hasn't worn the hat in a couple of years," Jarvis said, taking joy in the way every single person but Tony and his partner's flinched.

"That's because it's on your processors," Tony said, laughing at the passive-aggressive silence. 

**"Sir, may I remind you that you've been awake for nearly 72 hours?" Jarvis reported as Tony threw a few fake punches in front of a camera being held by U.**

**It is then revealed that he is standing on a platform, surrounded by tons of iron man suits in display cases.**

"Can you be any vainer?" Pepper asked, apparently having elected to ignore the hostility in the room.

"Of course!" Tony answered completely serious, enjoying the red head's complete annoyance. 

**"Focus up, ladies. Good evening, and welcome to the birthing suite,"**

"What the fuck?" Clint said, his face telling anyone who hadn't heard it in his voice that he was completely lost.

Tony just laughed, remembering the next bit with crystal clarity. 

**The billionaire turned and talked to the camera "I am pleased to announce the imminent arrival of your bouncing, bad-ass baby brother.** **Start tight and then go wide. Stamp date and time. Mark 42. Autonomous prehensile propulsion suit test initialize sequence." Tony said directly into the camera as everything began to power up around him.**

**He held his hands out as a piece of iron man suit on a nearby table glowed blue.**

**"Jarvis, drop my needle," Tony said, the needle dropping on a record and making a jazzy version of jingle bells start playing almost instantly.**

**Tony began moving to the music without any embarrassment.**

"Nice moves," Natasha mocked, disappointed at how immune the billionaire was to her humiliation.

"Thanks, Natashalie," He threw back instantly, silently laughing at the way she reacted to the name she thought he had forgotten. 

**He then held his hands out to try and get his suit to come to him but it didn't work.**

"Well, at least now we know everything you make doesn't work," Steve said unthinkingly, getting corrected in the next second without Tony even having to say a word. 

**"Crap," Tony said before he visibly braced himself and bit his arm over one of the injections.**

**Then he hit it as hard as he could bear, holding his hands out to try again.**

Bruce and Thor held Tony to them closer, realizing easily just how much that must have hurt. 

**The arm of the suit came to him, forcing his hand backward with the speed at which it flew towards him. The shoulder piece on the same side then followed. The billionaire turned around quickly, holding out his other hand as the other arm came to him.**

**He laughed at the way it was working before speaking up, "All right, I think we got this. Send them all," He said confidently, holding his hands up again.**

"That was never going to go well," Bruce said to the billionaire next to him, grinning at the man's faux pouting.

**A leg piece then flew towards him and attached itself, another piece then hit the glass protecting another iron man suit and broke the head off it.** **Tony turned and saw another bit of it flying towards him, which he deflected with his covered arm, making it soars upwards before it smashed a light.**

**"Probably a little fas," Tony muttered, "Slow it down. Slow it down just a..." Tony stopped talking to duck as another piece came flying toward him. There was a loud crash "... little bit," Tony finished, wincing slightly at the noise.**

**He was then forced to duck again as another piece flew towards him. A leg then came for him and attached itself. Then the piece protecting his groin flew towards him. It went so fast that he barely had time to brace himself before it was connecting with enough force to push him backward.**

Every man in the room winced, Clint instinctively crossing his legs as Tony did the same. 

**Then a back piece linked itself hard, forcing him forwards onto his stomach. He used his flight stabilizers to stop himself from crashing into the ground in a show of quick reflexes.**

**"Cool it, will you, Jarvis?" Tony asked as he flew back to the platform and landed, the chest piece already arriving and attaching itself.**

**The record scratched and the music stopped as it was hit by the face mask, which then turns completely around and faces him.**

**"Come on. I ain't scared of you," Tony goaded, already shifting himself to get into a better place.**

Bruce was already laughing, having heard the story and completely ready for the next part. Tony stuck his tongue out at the man in a stunning display of maturity, grinning wickedly when Thor smoothed a hand down his back. 

**The mask flew forwards as if it heard him, turning around mid-flight. Tony did an amazing coordinated flip as it attached itself, landing in a stereotypical superhero pose.**

**"I'm the best," Tony said, only the people who could consistently read him realizing that he was mocking comic books as the heads-up display lit up.**

Bruce's breath caught at the way the headset looked from the inside, never getting enough of his lover's inventions. 

**Then the piece that had hit the suit flew towards him, hit him in the back, and the suit fell back into pieces. Tony was left only with a helmet, sprawled on the floor. He then took off his helmet and groaned as he flexed his pulsing arm.**

The movie stopped as the entire audience laughed loudly. They all expected him to defend himself but only Bruce understood, as a scientist, that things needed to be texted. Thor chuckled with the room, his amusement more in the way that it looked than to make fun of Tony's misfortune. 

**"As always, sir, a great pleasure watching you work," Jarvis mocked with every bit of sarcasm he could.**

**Tony’s voiceover then continued ‘I guess 72 hours is a long time** **between siestas.** **I didn't think it could get any worse. Then I had to go and turn on the TV. That's when he happened.’**

**The scene cut to the Mandarin talking over a series of horrifying scenes of the mandarin speaking, people cheering, people being killed and buildings burning.**

**"Some people** **call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher, America, ready for another lesson?** **In 1864, in Sand Creek, Colorado, the US military waited until the friendly Cheyenne braves** **had all gone hunting. Waited to attack and slaughter** **the families left behind and claim their land. 39 hours ago, the Ali AI Salem Air Base in Kuwait was attacked. I... I... I did that. A quaint military church filled with wives and children, of course. The soldiers were out on maneuvers.** **The braves were away. President Ellis. You continue to resist my attempts to educate you, sir. And now you've missed me again. You know who I am. You don't know where I am. And you'll never see me coming," The Mandarin continued.**

**The news came back on and various newsreaders then began talking again.**

**"Now that we seem to be back, let's recap some of the frightening developments... American airwaves were hijacked... The nation remains on high alert. All attempts to find the Mandarin have so far proved unsuccessful," A reporter said into the microphone.**

**The news cut to President Ellis, "Central to my administration's response to this terrorist event is a newly minted resource. I know him as Colonel James Rhodes. The American people will soon know him as the Iron Patriot," Rhodey then appeared in the Iron Patriot armor.**

**Other news reporters then commented.**

**"And how is President Ellis responding? By taking the guy they call War Machine and giving him a paint job. The same suit,** **but painted red, white and blue. Look at that. And they also** **renamed him, 'Iron Patriot' You know, just in case the paint was too subtle," They mocked.  
**

Rhodey didn't look at the screen until the scene changed, refusing the acknowledge that everyone hated the new name and ignoring the way Tony's silence screamed at him. 

**The scene cut to Tony and Rhodey at a restaurant.**

**"It tested well with focus groups, all right?" Rhodey said, looking completely annoyed.**

**"'I am Iron Patriot!' it sucks,' Tony replied, purposefully making his voice more childish.**

**"Listen, 'War Machine' was a little too aggressive. All right? This sends a better message," Rhodey said condescendingly.**

The man winced at the way he was reacting, seeing the way Tony was making himself more annoying preemptively, and trying to remember when the billionaire had started to do that around him. 

**Tony just sighed, "So, what's really going on? With the Mandarin. Seriously, can we talk about this guy?"**

**"It's classified information, Tony..." The man said, only lasting a couple seconds before continuing, "Okay, there have been nine bombings," Rhodey conceded.**

**"Nine," Tony repeated for clarification even though he already knew the answer.**

"Was that the terrorist on TV?" Clint asked suddenly, a metaphorical right bulb going off over his head. 

Tony nodded absently, attention completely on watching the way he looked when he was putting on an act.

**"The public only knows about three. But here's the thing, nobody can ID a device. There's no bomb casings," Rhodey informed him grimly.**

**"You know I can help," Tony reminded him. "Just ask. I got a ton of new tech. I got a prehensile suit. I got bomb disposal. It catches explosions in mid-air,"**

**"When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Rhodey asked, not realizing just how awful it sounded.**

"Sorry, mom," Tony immediately said, having decided a long time ago not to spare anyone's feelings when they watched the movies.

Rhodey and Clint winced at the way the billionaire perfectly expressed what he thought of the Colonel's treatment of him. 

**"Einstein slept three hours a year. Look what he did," Tony answered, not even trying to hide the way he wasn't going to answer the question.**

**"People are concerned about you, Tony. I'm concerned about you," Rhodey tied, shaking his head like a disappointed parent.**

The room was completely silent, most trying to come to terms with how the billionaire and the Colonel acted when they weren't avoiding each other. 

**"You're going to come at me like that?" Tony said.**

**"No, look, I'm not trying to be a dick...tator," Rhodey instantly corrected himself as two young children appeared out of nowhere. A young girl and boy.**

"Nice one," Bruce said, almost sighing at how disapproving Steve looked.

"Language!" He reprimanded.

"I'm sorry everyone in this fucking room is a grown-ass adult and that bothers you for some dumb ass reason," Tony said, finally snapping at the man's completely unreasonable request.

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, Ton taking a special amount of joy in how Steve tried to make it seem like he was still in complete control of the situation. 

**"Do you mind signing my drawing?" The little girl asked quietly.**

**"If Richard doesn't mind. Are you all right with this, Dick?" Tony asked with a vaguely snide grin.**

**"Yeah. Fine with me." Rhodey replied, not bother to hide his irritation completely.**

**"What's your name?" Tony asked, voice calm and gentle around the children.**

"You can be polite, then?" Pepper said with a smile, backing down at Tony's 'what the hell' look. 

The difference between them was that Tony had a good sense of timing and Pepper just didn't. 

**"Erin," She replied instantly with a proud smile.**

**"I loved you in A Christmas Story, by the way," Tony said to the little boy who has so far been silent.**

Even Nick snorted at the comment, the surprise and complete incomprehension on the kid's faces just making it better as the room burst out laughing. Pepper and Rhodey both ignored the sound, just focusing on the screen as if they could magically make it play again. 

**"Listen, the Pentagon is scared. After New York, aliens...Come on. They need to look strong. Stopping the Mandarin is a priority, but it's not..." Rhodey began but he was quickly interrupted. Tony looked increasingly uncomfortable, trying to focus on the drawings in front of him as he wrote.**

**He put ‘Erin help me’ on a speech bubble coming off of her drawing which shows the battle of New York and Iron Man carrying the nuke through the wormhole.**

**"It’s not superhero business," Tony finished for the Colonel, very clearly wanting out of the conversation.**

Most of the audience just looked confused by the interaction, not fully understanding where it was going. Bruce and Thor both held Tony tight to them, recognizing the way Tony looked right before a major panic attack all too well. 

**"No, it's not, quite frankly," Rhodey pushed, not paying attention to how increasingly pale his 'friend' was getting.**

**"I get it," Tony said agreeably.**

**"It's American business," Rhodey said, clearly thinking he was pushing some sort of advantage.**

**"That's why I said I got it," Tony said sharply, looking very uncomfortable as he accidentally broke the crayon.**

**Tony exhaled sharply and put his head in his hands.**

**"Are you okay?" Rhodey asked, finally catching on that something wasn't quite right.**

"You ask now?!" Bruce muttered, sad that Tony's best friend hadn't even realized just how not okay the billionaire had been. 

**"I broke the crayon," Tony said, apologies and panic in every line of his body.**

**"Are you okay, Mr. Stark?" Erin asked in the kind of concern only particularly empathetic kids seemed to have.**

**"Take it easy, Tony," Rhodey warned, getting the billionaire to look up.**

**Tony froze after he took his hands away from his face.**

**"How did you get out of the Wormhole?" The boy whispered into Tony's ear, the man instantly flinching before the billionaire got up from the table as quick as he could.**

The room was dead silent, most of them realizing what was happening except for Steve, who looked ready to demand answers. 

**"Wait a minute, Tony!" Rhodey shouted after Tony as the billionaire started to leave.**

**"What did you say?" Tony asked back, not stopping his movement.**

**"Tony," Rhodey said, disapproval everywhere.**

**"Sorry. I'm just checking on the suit," Tony said breathlessly as he walked outside, pushing past people to where his suit was standing.**

**He got inside it and immediately fell to his knees.**

**"Okay. Check the heart. Is it the brain?" Tony questioned, looking alarmed and scared.**

**"No sign of cardiac anomaly or unusual brain activity," Jarvis informed him, his tone both worried and sad.**

**"Okay, so I was poisoned?" Tony speculated, not wanting to acknowledge what he already knew.**

**"My diagnosis is that you've experienced a severe anxiety attack," Jarvis said, knowing that his creator was dreading hearing the words but saying them anyway.**

**"Me?" Tony asked, dramatically incredulous as he gave himself a moment to adjust.**

**"Come on, man, this isn't a good look. Open up," Rhodey demanded, knocking on the helmet in annoyance.**

**"Sorry, I gotta split," Tony said, flying off without waiting for an answer.**

Steve looked ready to argue before he saw Thor's glare and the way Tony was shaking. Rhodey looked completely shame-faced, appalled at his attitude and brushing off Pepper's attempts to comfort him. 

* * *

_This chapter took longer than I thought, sorry. I've been busy lately but I'm going to be back on schedule in a couple days. (Roseriley0612@gmail.com) Email or comment if you have any pairings/prompts that you would like to see from me. -Rose_


	2. Badges

**The scene cut to Happy going into the Stark Industries building.**

**"Badge. Badge. Come on, badge. Badge, guys. I put a memo in the toilet. Come on," Happy ordered as the people around him started looking increasingly flustered.**

"What is it with the badges?" Steve asked in bewilderment.

"You could never understand," Pepper said dismissively without a second thought.

Most everyone just looked amused when Steve puffed up like an irate housecat. 

**The scene changed again to Happy walking alongside Pepper.**

**"Tony has got them in his basement. They're wearing party hats. This is an asset that we can put to use," Happy said.**

**"Uh-huh," Pepper said with skepticism, "So, you're suggesting that I replace the entire janitorial staff with robots?" She questioned, leaning down to sign something on a clipboard quickly.**

"Oh lord," Rhodey muttered with a laugh, remembering the phone call Pepper where she had ranted about Happy.

**"Thank you," She added as the woman holding the clipboard took it away.**

**"What I'm saying is that the human element of human resources is our biggest point of vulnerability. We should start phasing it out immediately,  
Happy said cajolingly.**

**"What?" Pepper questioned again.**

**"Excuse me, Bambi, you should be wearing..." Happy started as he saw someone without a badge.**

**"Did you just say that?" Pepper questioned but Happy ignored her.**

"I love how your immediate reaction is to treat others like incompetent children when they have opinions," Natasha said with mirth, leaning against Clint at the force of her silent laughter when the other redhead flinched and looked to Rhodey for protection.

Rhodey didn't even acknowledge it, staring resolutely at the screen. 

"At least it's not just Tony," Bruce said in agreement, masks fully up to stop his amusement from showing. 

That was all it took for the room to start laughing, even Fury's lip twitched under the force of his amusement. 

**"Security?" Happy queried someone then, finally, he turned around and paid attention to Pepper "Yes?" He said innocently.**

**"Happy? Okay. I am thrilled that you are now the Head of Security. Okay? It is the perfect position for you," Pepper began slowly as she finally had Happy’s attention back.**

**"Thank you," Happy interrupted.**

**"However..." Pepper continued on calmly.**

**"I do appreciate it," Happy again interrupted with.**

**"…since you've taken the post..." Pepper tried again.**

**"You don't have to thank me," Happy informed her, completely serious.**

**"..we've had a rise in staff complaints of 300%," Pepper finally burst out, tensing as she expected more of a reaction than she got.**

**"Thank you," Happy said with a self-satisfied smile.**

Tony cracked up then, seeing the similarities between himself and the bodyguard. He muttered his findings to Bruce and Thor in between his gasps, just thinking about it made him lose his composure. 

**"It's not a compliment. It's not..." Pepper reminded him.**

**"It is a compliment. Clearly, somebody's trying to hide something," Happy interjected, completely missing the point without even trying.**

Natasha couldn't contain her laughter anymore, Clint following until they were all laughing at the bodyguard's oblivious behavior. 

**"I... Yes," Pepper started, finally just giving up.**

They had all barely stopped cracking up when Pepper gave in, even the redhead laughing at how stupid that conversation seemed without being involved in it. 

**"Excuse me. Ms. Potts, your 4:00 is here," said the secretary.**

**"Thank you," Pepper replied, clearly grateful for the out the secretary had given her.**

**"Did you clear this 4:00 with me?" Happy asked, completely earnest.**

**"Happy, we'll talk about this later, but right now, I have to go deal with this very annoying thing," Pepper placated, already walking away faster.**

**"How so?" Happy asked, face blatantly showing his suspicion.**

"He was right," Tony said, glad when Pepper just stayed silent. 

**"I used to work with him and he used to ask me out all the time, so it's a little awkward," Pepper told him easily as they opened the door to a meeting room and went inside.**

**"I don't like the sound of that," Happy complained. Pepper just turned around and looked very surprised. It’s revealed that Killian is standing there but he is no longer disabled and has shorter, slicked-back, hair.**

**"Pepper" Killian said with a smile.**

"Isn't that Switzerland guy?" Bruce asked Tony, confused when the billionaire just scoffed.

"He shot himself up with Extremis to look like that," 

"What is Extremis?" Thor asked playing dumb, his voice quiet enough that nobody else noticed their conversation.

"It's kind of like the serum that Steve got but it makes people regrow limbs and breathe fire," Tony said, remembering what his reaction had been when Tony had told him about it the first time.

_**Flashback**_

_They had just finished the first movie, the three of them all feeling completely out of sorts._

_"I never thought this was something that was going to be possible. Are we sure we want to try a triad?" Bruce asked, some of his earlier insecurities coming out._

_"I'm half in love with you both already, I want this if your guys do," Tony promised, mentally congratulating himself for not stuttering on his nerves._

_"I was unaware that Midgard did Tri-bonds. I wish to enter such a bond with you both, if that is something you would consider," The God declared, voice completely serious and taking on a more ancient wording._

_"I'm worried about you, Tony. If the Hulk comes out I know that Thor can handle himself but what if you don't have the suit?" Bruce asked, knowing how bad it sounded but needed to put up his biggest insecurity before they went any farther._

_Tony ruthlessly pushed down the sharp pain of the hurt that went through him before using his more logical side. He pushed down the way that part of him that he had thought died in Siberia screamed for him to stay quiet and protect himself._

_"Can I tell you both a secret?"_

_**Flashback**_

"Can you three shut up." Fury demanded, the sentence that had the possibility of being a question made an order through his tone alone.

"Yes, sir," Tony purred just for the way Nick looked absolutely disgusted at his nephew flirting with him.

Bruce hid his silent laughter in Tony's neck, Thor's chest shaking where he was holding Tony tightly between him and Bruce. 

Most of the team looked completely scandalized but Clint had a sort of manic excitement that scared Tony in his eyes. 

**"Killian?" The woman said in more confusion than anything else, looking surprised.**

**"You look great. You look really great," Killian complimented.**

**"God, you look great. I... l... I... What on earth have you been doing?" Pepper asked, obviously trying to get herself together and failing.**

**"Nothing fancy. Just five years in the hands of physical therapists. And please, call me Aldrich," He said gently.**

His manipulation was obvious to nobody but Tony, Bruce, the spies, and Thor.

**"Uh, you were supposed to be issued a security badge," Happy interrupted.**

"Seriously?" Steve asked again, unaware that almost the entire team was silently cracking up at his insistence. 

**"Happy, it's okay. We're good," Pepper interjected as she turned back around to face Happy.**

**"Yes," Killian added like he a part of the conversation.**

**"Are you sure? Okay," Happy agreed after seeing the woman's glare.**

**"Yes. Stand down," Pepper repeated, sounding more condescending than anything else.**

Pepper winced at her tone, never having realized just how patronizing it was until she was seeing it from another perspective. Rhodey didn't acknowledge her realization, even though Tony could practically see his need to reach out and reassure her.

**"I'm going to linger right here. Okay," Happy told her before doing just that.**

**"Thank you" Pepper said, taking a breath before turning back to her previous boss.** **"It's very nice to see you, Killian," Pepper said, just to get rid of the silence.**

**The scene cut to outside the room and Happy sitting outside.**

**"Hey, guy," Happy said as he noticed Killian’s body guard slumped over a chair. He motioned to his security badge and the guy then shows his in return.**

**"Merry Christmas," The other guy said, as another person walked by.**

**"After years dodging the President's ban on 'immoral' biotech research, my think tank** **now has a little something in the pipeline. It's an idea we like to call EXTREMIS. I'm gonna turn your lights down," Killian said, both of them sitting down as he turned down the lights and created a giant hologram of the universe.**

**"Regard the human brain. Uh... Wait, hold on, hold on. That's...That's the universe. My bad. But if I do that..." Killian flicked a switch and the hologram changed. "That's the brain. Strangely mimetic, though, wouldn't you say?" He asked, making it seem like an offhanded question.**

Bruce and Tony winced at how obviously manipulative he was being, waiting for Pepper to catch on and amazed when she didn't.

**"Wow, that's amazing," Pepper said in awe.**

**"Thanks, it's mine," He commented easily.**

**"What?" Pepper questioned, very obviously confused.**

**"This. You're inside my head. It's a...It's a live feed. Come on up, I'll prove it to you," He promised before getting up and walking inside the hologram "Come on. Now, pinch my arm. I can take it. Pinch me," He goaded, pointing at the hologram as she did. There appeared to be a reaction on the hologram as part of it lit up.**

**"What is that?" Pepper asked slowly.**

**"It's the primary somatosensory cortex. It's the brain's pain centre. But this is what I wanted to show you. Now, EXTREMIS harnesses our bioelectrical potential and it goes here," Killian pointed at an empty lot on the hologram. "This is essentially an empty slot and what this tells us is that our mind, our entire DNA, in fact, is destined to be upgraded," Killian informed her.**

"Even though he's a complete bag of dicks he's damn smart," Tony said with a whistle, already making blueprints to replicate the hologram of people's brains without the extensive surgery and Extremis usage Killian no doubt used.

Pepper went to send him a scathing look before she caught Tony's barely hidden amusement. When she looked around she realized the entire room was either glaring or sneering at her. 

**"Wow," Pepper exclaimed, completely enthralled.**

**The scene cut back to Happy waiting outside the room.**

**Happy then noticed that he had a call. "Oh, wait..." he said as he attempted to accept the call, "Uh...Hello?"**

**"Is this Forehead of Security?" Tony asked as it appears that Happy was holding the iPad in a way that only showed Tony his forehead.**

Clint gave a surprised chuckle, Bruce echoing once he had a second to realize what was happening. 

**"What?" Happy replied before he noticed and immediately brought the iPad down so that Tony could see his face. "You know, look...I got a real job. What do you want? I'm working. I've got something going on, here,"**

**"What, harassing interns?" Tony questioned, looking completely innocent.**

**"Let me tell you something. Do you know what happened when I told people I was Iron Man's bodyguard? They would laugh in my face," Happy said his tone getting the billionaire to laugh, "I had to leave while I still had a shred of dignity. Now I got a real job. I'm watching Pepper,"**

**"What's going on? Fill me in," Tony asked as he moved downstairs in his workshop.**

**"For real?" Happy double-checked.**

**"Yeah," Tony confirmed easily.**

**"All right. So, she's meeting up with this scientist. Rich guy. Handsome," Happy informed him.**

**"Right," Tony said, encouraging the other man to keep talking.**

**"I couldn't make his face, at first. Right? You know I'm good with faces," Happy said, the last part more a filler sentence before he got to the point.**

**"Oh, yeah, you're the best," Tony agreed without hesitation, amusement growing in his eyes.**

Bruce and Thor held Tony tighter as he got tenser, seeing without Tony ever saying a thing that something was about to happen. 

**"Yeah. Well, so I run his credentials. I make him. Aldrich Killian. We actually met the guy back in...Where were we in '99? The science conference?" Happy questioned.**

**"Um...Switzerland," Tony confirmed after checking over his memories, the mirth long gone as he realized just how bad this had the potential to be.**

**"Right, right, exactly," Happy said.**

**"Killian. No...I don't remember that guy," Tony lied with a dark look barely hidden on his face.**

**"Of course you don't remember," Happy scoffed, missing the way Tony had to stop himself from flinching at the mocking, "He's not a blond with a big rack. At first, it was fine. They were talking business. But now it's, like, getting weird. He's showing her his big brain,"**

Bruce kissed Tony's neck and pulled him onto his lap as he realized just how much that comment had hurt the billionaire. 

**"His what?" Tony questioned, confusion mixing with rage at the way Happy worded his sentence.**

**"Big brain. And she likes it. Here, let me show you. Hold on. See?" Happy asked as he attempted to show Tony what he was seeing.**

**"Look at what? You, watching them?" Tony said gently, annoyance well hidden but still obviously there, "Flip the screen, and then we can get started,"**

**"I'm not a tech genius like you. Just trust me. Get down here," Happy warned him.**

**"Flip the screen. Then I can see what they're doing," Tony countered, finding the way Happy tried to defect the fact he didn't know how to turn the camera beyond amusing.**

**"I can't! I don't know how to flip the screen!" Happy protested, finally giving into Tony's grin. "Don't talk to me like that any more. You're not my boss. All right? I don't work for you. And I don't trust this guy. He's got another guy with him. He's shifty,"**

**"Relax," Tony said with no heat behind his words, his eyes telling an entirely different story.** **"Seriously? I'm just asking you to secure the perimeter. Tell them to go out for a drink or something," Tony objected.**

**"You know what? You should take more of an interest in what's going on here. This woman's the best thing that ever happened to you and you're just ignoring her," Happy commented, trying to get Tony to see it his way with the guilt trip and disrespect he had long been taught was ok.**

Thor growled at the slight, his eyes crackling with thunder as he pulled Tony closer to himself. 

**"A giant brain?" Tony asked again, hurt and betrayal flashing too quickly for Happy to see it before he pulled on his press smile.**

**"Yeah. There's a giant brain. There's a shifty character. I'm gonna follow this guy. I'm gonna run his plates and I'm gonna...You know, if it gets rough, so be it," Happy said resigned.**

**"I miss you, Happy" Tony said with a smile, those close to the man able to see the way he strained to hide his emotions.**

**"Yeah, I miss you, too. But the way it used to be. Now you're off with the super-friends.** **I** **don't know what's going on with you any more. The world's getting weird," Happy commented like he hadn't just insulted everything that Tony had chosen for himself in a couple of sentences.**

Clint looked completely insulted on Tony's behalf, the only thing holding him back was Natasha's hand on his arm and her equally as angry face. 

**"Hey! I hate to cut you off. Do you have your taser on you?" Tony asked what seemed to be an idle question.**

**"Why?" Happy questioned.**

**"I think there's a gal in H.R. who's trying to steal some printer ink. You should probably go over there and zap her," Tony informed him, his expression making it unclear whether or not he was joking.**

Pepper chuckled a bit before realizing how had told the joke and trying to be stoic. Rhodey didn't bother, laughing with the rest of the room at the billionaire's teasing and never noticing just how hurt Tony was by that entire conversation. 

**"Yeah, nice," Happy replied and the call ended.**

**The scene cut back to Killian and Pepper. They were sat back down and the lights were back on.**

**"Imagine if you could hack into the hard drive of any living organism and recode its DNA," Killian questioned.**

**"That would be incredible. Unfortunately, to my ears, it also sounds highly weaponisable. As in, enhanced soldiers, private armies, and Tony is..." Pepper began only to be interrupted.**

**"Tony, To- You know, I invited Tony to join AIM 13 years ago. He turned me down. But something tells me now there's a new genius on the throne who doesn't have to answer to Tony any more and who has slightly less of an ego," Killian tried, using manipulation without a second thought.**

"I would have turned you down regardless, asshole. Even if he hadn't chosen a party to approach me," Tony muttered petulantly, pouting until Bruce grabbed his chin and distracted him with a kiss. 

Wanda looked happy for them for a moment before her emotions went completely 360, right as Steve was starting to show his homophobic side.

"I think that Wanda is accidentally drawing off other people's emotions," Tony whispered into Bruce's neck, the man acknowledging him by squeezing Tony's hip.

**"It's gonna be a no, Aldrich. As much as I'd like to help you," Pepper replied looking genuinely regretful. They got up and walked outside the building.**

**"Well, I can't say that I'm not disappointed. But then, as my father used to say, 'Failure is the fog through which we glimpse triumph.'" Killian quoted.**

**"That's very deep," Pepper said, "And I have no idea what it means,"**

**"No, me neither. He was kind of an idiot, my old man," He said with a laugh, "I'm sure I'll see you again, Pepper," He muttered as he kissed her on the cheek, the close proximity making Pepper miss the cryptic tone accompanying the words.**

"Jesus Christ, how did you miss the creepy vibes he was giving off?" Rhodey asked, completely appalled at how oblivious the redhead was being.

"He was my old boss, he's always like that!" Pepper defended weakly, wincing when she realized just how much worse that made everything. 

**"Happy," She shouted, jumping the second she saw him so close.**

**"Car's ready, if you're ready to go," Happy informed her.**

**"Yes, I just, um..." Pepper began, "God, I forgot my other things, so...I'm just gonna..." She went inside as quickly as she could manage, obviously flustered.**

**Happy then took a photo of the number plate of Killian’s car.**

"Smart guy," Nick praised before going abruptly silent when several people jumped, clearly having forgotten he was even in the room. 

Tony chuckled lowly, knowing exactly how much amusement the Director was getting from their surprise and resolving to try that sometime. 

**The scene then cut to Tony’s Malibu house and Pepper arriving. She noticed a huge custom rabbit that looks way too big to fit inside the door.**

"Tony," Bruce gasped over a laugh, ignoring Pepper's glare and just holding his partner closer. 

**She then walked inside and put her bags down.**

**"I'm sorry I'm late. I was...What the..." She started, stopping as she noticed that Tony’s latest suit was sat on the sofa, presumably with Tony still inside it.**

**"What is that? You're wearing this in the house now?" Pepper questioned, clear disapproval in her voice, "What is that, like, Mark 15?"**

"Why do you hate his suits so much?" Wanda asked in a rare moment of intelligence. 

"Because they're a distraction," Pepper said easily, expecting to find an ally in the Sokovian and clearly shocked when Wanda didn't immediately agree.

Even Rhodey winced at her disinterest and complete lack of understanding. 

**"** **Uh, yeah," Tony agreed easily, subtly turning over the arm of his suit which read ‘Mark 42’, "Something like that. You know, everybody needs a hobby."**

**"Oh, and you have to wear your hobby in the living room?" Pepper asked with clear displeasure as she sat down to take off her shoes.**

**"Just breaking it in. You know, it's always a little pinchy in the gooey bag at first, so..." he said, laughing as he walked around.**

"You're amused by how worked up she gets and egging her on," Thor muttered with laughter in his tone, voice quiet enough that nobody but his two partners heard. 

**"Well, hey, did you see your Christmas present?"**

**"Yes, I did. I...I don't know how I could've missed that Christmas present. Is it gonna fit through the door?" Pepper questioned, obviously still distracted by the suit.**

**"Well, actually, it's a good question. I got a team of guys coming tomorrow. They're gonna blow out that wall," Tony informed her, watching for a reaction at his more than serious answer.**

**"Okay," Pepper replied, completely disinterested.**

"Your reactions are completely skewed and not at all predictable," Rhodey scolded, his military mind wonder how someone could be so set on some things but not on others. 

Tony smiled into Thor's shoulder as Rhodey accidentally insulted Peper, actively having to hold back laughter at the redhead's betrayed expression. 

**"** **So, uh...Tense? Good day? Huh?" Tony asked as he began massaging her shoulders. "Ooh, shoulders, a little knotty. Naughty girl. I don't want to harp on this, but did you like the custom rabbit?"**

**"Did I like it?" Pepper echoed, almost as if she was asking herself.**

**"Nailed it, right?" Tony said, egging her on.**

**"Wow. I appreciate the thought very much. So, why don't you lift up that face mask and give me a kiss?" Pepper questioned, getting up and facing the suit.**

"Why would you lie like that?" Steve asked, not out of malice but sheer confusion, like he didn't understand lying to achieve the desired result.

Tony grinned with too many teeth as Pepper colored. 

**"Beep, beep," Tony mimed, knocking on the face mask of the suit, "Huh...Yep. Damn it, no can do. You want to just kiss it on the...the facial slit?" Tony questioned, tapping the mouth slit of the suit.**

**"Uh-huh. Well, why don't I run down to the garage and see if I can't find a crowbar to jimmy that thing open?" Pepper asked looking beyond delighted at the prospect, turning around and walking towards the stairs to the workshop.**

**"Crowbar, yeah. Oh! Except there's been a radiation leak," Tony fakely stammered, not even bothering to try and hide the way he really didn't want her in his space.**

"You're such a bad lier," The redhead teased, not even realizing how fake he had been acting.

"Yup," Tony said easily, not bothering to try with the woman anymore when even Steve seemed to understand that he was uncomfortable. 

**"I'll take my chances," Pepper replied as she walked down the stairs.**

**"That's risky. At least, let me get you like, a hazmat suit you can..." Tony grunted as the scene moved to him holding on to a bar downstairs in the workshop, revealing that Pepper had been greeted by an empty suit.**

**"A Geiger counter or something like that. Busted." Tony remarked as he let himself down from the bar.**

**"This is a new level of lame’," Pepper said, pushing DUM-E out the way.**

"Why would you do that to DUM-E?" Rhodey asked in shock, never having realized just how dismissive and awful the woman was until just then.

"He was in the way!" The woman defended as if it made it any better. 

Even Steve winced at the callous response, understanding that the robot meant something to Tony even if he didn't know why. 

**"Sorry," Tony apologized.**

**"** **You ate without me already? On date night?" Pepper protested as he noticed a dirty plate on the table.**

**"He was just..." Tony disagreed, gesturing towards the suit which had followed Pepper down.**

**"You mean you," Pepper interrupted snidely.**

**"Well, yeah, I just mean we were just hosting you..." Tony said, a wicked gleam hidden in his eyes as Pepper scoffed, "while I finished up a little work,"**

**"Uh-huh," Pepper said, clearly not happy at all.**

**"And yes, I had a quick bite. I didn't know if you were coming home or you were having drinks with Aldrich Killian," Tony said, allowing himself to look vaguely jealous.**

Bruce hugged Tony closer to himself at the obvious display of acting, Thor moving closer to his partners in a way that seemed like they were all just shifting. 

**"** **What?" Pepper asked sharply as the head of Tony’s suit turned its head towards her.**

**"What?" Tony replied acting innocent.**

**"Aldrich Killian? What, are you checking up on me?" Pepper questioned, not so silently fuming.**

**"Happy was concerned," Tony protested, not even bothering to try and make her calm down.**

**"No, you're spying on me," Pepper snarked, looking completely annoyed.**

**"I wasn't," Tony protested half-heartedly.**

**"I'm going to bed," Pepper said, already turning away to go back upstairs.**

The redhead blushed in shame when she realized how that looked. Slumping down farther when she remembered the conversation she saw between Happy and Tony. The billionaire got some vicious satisfaction from seeing her taken down a peg but was really indifferent when it came to her after all that had happened between them. 

**"Hold on. Come on. Pep? Hey, I admit it. My fault. Sorry. I'm a piping hot mess. It's been going on for a while. I haven't said anything. Nothing's been the same since New York," Tony admitted, realizing that she had been pushed too far.**

**"Oh, really? I didn't notice that at all," Pepper asked, sarcastically.**

**"You experience things and then they're over, and you still can't explain them. Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I'm just a man in a can. The only reason I haven't cracked up is probably because you moved in. Which is great. I love you. I'm lucky. But honey, I can't sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know. I tinker. I..." Tony said before just sighing, "Threat is imminent,"**

**"And I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without. That's you. And my suits, they're, uh..."**

**"Machines," Pepper finished with irritation.**

"Jesus, lady. He's trying to tell you that he's not okay and you're annoyed that his coping mechanism isn't something you think he should be doing?" Clint asked, genuinely repulsed by her behavior. 

Most of the team had some sort of issue that came from either their training or battles so they were all with Clint. Even Rhodey looked disgusted at just how atrocious her behavior was. Bruce and Thor were glaring fiercely as they held Tony tighter between them. 

**"They're part of me," Tony insisted, starting to get genuinely pissed off at her blase attitude.**

**"A distraction," Pepper imputed, her face saying she wasn't going to give up.**

**"Maybe," Tony agreed with murder in his eyes.**

**Pepper walked back towards Tony and hugged his head, taking off his headset as she pulled back.**

**"I'm gonna take a shower," Pepper informed the billionaire before turning around and heading back upstairs.**

**"Okay," Tony replied.**

**"And you're gonna join me," Pepper added, not taking into account the fact that Tony had just admitted his PTSD was acting up.**

"What the hell? The guy was waterboarded and he just admitted that he was feeling low so you're going to force him to go into water?" Fury asked, completely floored at her behavior.

Pepper looked like she was going to stand up for herself but Rhodey's scathing look shut her up real quick. Rhodey tried to send Tony an apologetic look but the billionaire was more focused on the way his Uncle had just actually stood up for him. 

**"Better," Tony added, panic filling him before he clamped down on it, knowing weakness wouldn't be received well.**

**The scene cut to Tony and Pepper in bed. Tony appeared to have a nightmare. He groaned and shuddered before there are flashes of him flying into the wormhole from the battle of New York and then him falling.**

**"Tony," Pepper said in annoyance, trying to wake him up half-heartedly.**

"Pepper," Natasha said threateningly, never having seen the woman so horrifically emotionally abusive before. 

**Tony just whimpered.**

**"** **Tony. Tony," Pepper tried again.**

**Tony whimpered once more.**

**"To..." Pepper began only to be interrupted by Tony’s latest suit grabbing her shoulder and leaning over her protectively.**

**This woke Tony up quickly, holding his head in his hands for a moment before yelling out. "Power down!"**

The room was silent as they watched the billionaire heartbreakingly work himself out of a nightmare while Pepper did nothing. 

**Tony then grabbed a wrench and hit the suit, the thing immediately breaking into pieces.**

**"** **I must have called it in my sleep," Tony realized, saying it out loud more than to Pepper.**

**"That's not supposed to happen. I'll recalibrate the sensors. Can we just... Just let me... Just let me catch my breath. Hey, don't... Don't go. All right? Pepper..." Tony begged, not wanting to be alone but watching as Pepper got out of the bed anyways.**

**"** **I'm going to sleep downstairs," She said, immediately leaving and not even looking behind her to say "Tinker with that,"**

Everyone in the room was looking at Pepper in some form of revulsion, not understanding how someone who had seemed so nice was that horrible to someone she was supposed to protect. Even Wanda looked horrified at the redhead's reaction. 

**The scene cut to Happy, following Killian’s bodyguard who was meeting up with another guy.**

"That's not going to end well," Wanda said to try and dispel the tension, not expecting the muted flinch it got from Tony. 

She was empathetic enough to not push on the weakness he had accidentally shown, getting a grateful nod from the billionaire. 

**"** **Can you regulate?" He asked.**

**"Yes, I can regulate," The other guy replied.**

**"** **You sure about that?" The bodyguard asked.**

**"Yes," The other guy promised easily.**

"Regulate what?" Steve demanded, back to his normal self the second it wasn't profitable to be kind. 

Wanda watched him with morbid fascination, clearly having realized something was wrong with her emotions. 

**The scene cut to Happy watching them in a mirror from afar.**

**"It's a decent batch," The bodyguard complimented, handing over a briefcase to the other guy, "Don't say I never did nothing for you,"**

**"Thank you," The other guy said as he took the briefcase, "I mean, for understanding,"**

**As he walked away Happy knocked into him in purpose, making the briefcase fall open and the things inside it fall over the ground.**

**"I'm sorry, buddy," Happy said as he helped the guy to put everything back, but he also took one of the small metal objects and put it in his pocket without the other guy noticing. Happy then noticed that his face was glowing orange.**

**They then both went walking in separate directions. Happy then bumped into the bodyguard who recognized him.**

**"What are you doing, buddy? You out by yourself? A little date night? Seeing your favourite chick flick, maybe?" The bodyguard taunted.**

**"Yeah, a little movie called The Party's Over, starring you and your junkie girlfriend. Here's the ticket," Happy replied, holding up the thing he had taken from the briefcase.**

"Dumbass," Tony cursed with sadness in his eyes, ignoring the questioning looks people were sending him. 

**"No kidding. That doesn't belong to you," The bodyguard said after a sharing a silent look, one of them reaching towards the metal object.**

**Happy swung his fist towards him but the bodyguard moved his head so Happy missed. Happy tried and again missed, that time he connected. The bodyguard's face glowed orange and he then threw Happy into a nearby stand. The scene cut to the other guy taking something from the metal object and glowing a brighter orange, clearly unable to control the effect of the drug he took.**

**"Savin! Help! Help me!" The guy that was going out of control cried out as Savin, the bodyguard, looked round. The guy then glowed completely orange and exploded, destroying the theatre and causing the cars on the street outside to crash. The scene zoomed inside onto Happy who is lying injured on the ground.**

**He pointed towards two metal dog tags before he noticed Savin, also glowing orange, walking away with only burnt clothes.**

"Oh," Steve said in shock, understanding what he had demanded before. 

**The scene cut to the Mandarin overtaking the airwaves again "True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese. They sound Chinese. But they're actually an American invention. Which is why they're hollow, full of lies and leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knockoff. The Chinese Theatre. Mr President, I know this must be getting frustrating. But this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming. Your graduation,"**

"I remember him. Wasn't he that one actor in the war movie?" Clint asked, not realizing that he had just effectively given away the Mandarin's secret without even trying. 

Tony just laughed helplessly, not able to calm down. Even Bruce was getting concerned by the time he finally managed to stop laughing. 

**The scene cut to a nurse beside Happy’s bedside in a hospital and about to turn off the television.**

**"Hi," Tony said as it is revealed that he is sitting on a chair nearby.**

**"** **Oh-!" she yelped, clearly surprised, having not noticed him.**

**He laughed easily, "Do you mind leaving that on?" he asked, motioning towards the television.**

**"Sure," She agreed.**

**"Sunday nights. PBS. Downton Abbey. That's his show. He thinks it's elegant," Tony said, tone hushed like he was confiding something to her.**

**"One more thing. Make sure everyone wears their badges. He's a stickler for that sort of thing. Plus, my guys won't let anyone in without them," He told her and then walked outside.**

"I know that look," Thor murmured with sadness, holding Tony closer to himself as he remembered seeing the same looked of helpless rage on Loki's face before he did something stupid.

**The scene cut to the outside of the hospital and a load of reporters that were waiting for Tony to come out.**

**"** **We're awaiting the arrival of Tony Stark. We're hoping he'll give us the reaction... His reaction to the latest attack," One said to the camera.**

**Tony then came out, the reporters instantly clamoring around him with cameras and microphones. Tony just ignored them and began to walk to his car.**

**"** **Mr. Stark, hi there. Our sources are telling us that all signs are pointing to another Mandarin attack. Anything else you can tell us?" A female reporter asked without any sensitivity.**

**"Hey, Mr. Stark. When is somebody gonna kill this guy? I'm just saying," A guy asked, holding a phone.**

**Tony just stopped, taking a deep breath before turning around.**

**"** **Is that what you want? Here's a little holiday greeting I've been wanting to send to the Mandarin," Tony said, his face saying he was already regretting his decision but committing nonetheless.**

**"I just didn't know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward. So I've decided that you just died, pal. I'm gonna come get the body. There's no politics here. It's just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon, it's just you and me. And on the off chance you're a man, here's my home address. 10880 Malibu Point. I'll leave the door unlocked,-** **That's what you wanted, right?" Tony finished snidely, taking the guy's phone and throwing it at a nearby pillar "Bill me," Tony added before getting into his car.**

Pepper looked around the room for others that found the move just as stupid but all that she saw was sadness and understanding. She only found an alliance with Steve, taking one look at his sympathetic smile before deciding it wasn't worth it. Steve puffed up in indignation at being ignored before Nick made a gesture getting him to calm. 

**T** **he scene then cut to Tony in his workshop.**

**"I've compiled a Mandarin database for you, sir, drawn from S.H.l.E.L.D., FBI and CIA intercepts. Initiating virtual crime scene reconstruction," Jarvis said, a hologram of the crime scene appearing along with a load of other screens showing additional information.**

**"Okay. What have we got here? The name is an ancient Chinese war mantle meaning 'adviser to the king'. South American insurgency tactics. Talks like a Baptist preacher. There's lots of pageantry going on here. Lots of theatres. Close." Tony said, closing some of the screens**

**"** **The heat from the blast was in excess of 3,000 degrees Celsius. Any subjects within 12.5 yards were vaporized instantly," Jarvis informed the billionaire.**

Bruce, Natasha, and Clint all looked shocked, knowing how hot fire had o be to burn down a house and wondering why the hell someone would do that to themselves. 

**"No bomb parts found in a three-mile radius of the Chinese Theatre?" Tony asked once more to be sure, already not liking the sound of that.**

**"** **No, sir," Jarvis admitted.**

**"Talk to me, Happy," A hologram of Happy’s body appeared, Tony looking towards where he is pointing and finding the two silver name tags. "When is a bomb not a bomb? Any military victims?" He asked, already getting on a better track.**

**"Not according to public record, sir," Jarvis answered.**

**"Bring up the thermogenic signatures again. Factor in 3,000 degrees," Tony ordered, on a roll.**

**"The Oracle cloud has completed analysis. Accessing satellites and plotting the last 12 months of thermogenic occurrences now," Jarvis read off, each of the thermogenic occurrences appearing with his words.**

**"Take away everywhere that there's been a Mandarin attack," Tony asked, looking satisfied when most of them disappeared. Tony began looking through the ones remaining.**

**"** **Nope. That. Are you sure that's not one of his?" Tony queried as his mind kept getting stuck on that one.**

**"It predates any known Mandarin attack. The incident was the use of a bomb to assist a suicide,-" Jarvis began dutifully.**

**"-Bring her around," Tony interrupted, looking at the incident in more detail.**

Most of the audience was in awe at the way Tony's brain worked, focussed completely on the TV. 

**"The heat signature is remarkably similar," Jarvis commented.**

**"3,000 degree Celsius. That's two military guys. Ever been to Tennessee, Jarvis?" Tony asked.**

**"** **Creating a flight plan for Tennessee," Jarvis informed the billionaire, Tony nodding once before swiping his hand causing all the screens to disappear.**

**The doorbell then rings.**

Tension filled the room at the bell, only Tony's relaxed posture letting everyone else calm down. 

**"Are we still at ding-dong? We're supposed to be on total..." he muttered, banging his hand on the table with his words. "...security lockdown. Come on, I threatened a terrorist. Who is that?" Tony asked completely annoyed as he swung around and exited the room.**

**"There's only so much I can do, sir, when you give the world's press your home address.’ Jarvis replied with disapproval.**

**The camera then pans out to shows Tony’s home surrounded by helicopters.**

"Shit," Clint muttered pretty much verbalizing all of their thoughts.

* * *

_Sorry for the slow updates, I've been pretty busy lately. I'll try to be better about it. (Roseriley0612@gmail.com) Email or comment if you have any prompts/pairings that you would like to see from me. -Rose_


	3. Bomb

**The scene cut to Maya standing in front of the door which buzzed, unlocking and letting her in when she knocked on it.**

**"Right there is fine," Tony said, in his suit, holding up his hand in a way that could be considered to say 'stop' but really suggested 'I'm going to repulser you in the face'.**

**"** **You're not the Mandarin," He said, opening the visor, "Are you? Are you?"**

"Like a child in a chocolate factory," Pepper muttered with obvious condescension, missing the disgusted looks she was getting from everyone in the room. 

**"You don't remember. Why am I not surprised?" Maya asked with an indulgent smile and a laugh.**

**"Don't take it personally. I don't remember what I had for breakfast," Tony admitted easily, going along with her expectation.**

"You remembered her," Bruce chuckled as he held Tony to himself tighter, seeing the telltale manic edge in the billionaire's eyes where nobody else noticed. 

"I don't know what he's talking about," The billionaire muttered to Thor, looking completely innocent minus his silent laughter. 

"I'm sure, beloved," The King said soothingly, sharing a fond look with Bruce. 

**"** **Gluten-free waffles, sir," Jarvis reminded without prompting, sounder more robotic than normal.**

Tony chuckled as he remembered that day. 

**"That's right," Tony said like he was having a light bulb moment.**

**"Okay, look, I need to be alone with you, someplace not here," Maya said, "It's urgent,"**

**"Normally, I'd go for that sort of thing, but now I'm in a committed relationship.** **It's..." Tony started when bags were suddenly dropped from the staircase in a way that was probably meant to worry the billionaire. "With her,"**

**"** **Tony? Is somebody there?" Pepper asked from the floor above like she hadn't just been caught in the middle of a manipulation scheme. Tony then got out of his suit.**

"Wow," Wanda said with actual shock, remembering Hydra doing the same thing.

Just the fact that she could connect something Hydra did to something that Pepper was doing made her think twice in a way she hadn't in a long time. Tony watched with sympathy, remembering just how hard it was to connect Obadiah's manipulations to his father's old tricks when he didn't want to believe it. 

**"Yeah, it's Maya Hansen," Tony said, purposefully revealing that he did actually remember her.**

**"Ah..." Maya exclaimed when she understood the implications.**

**"Old botanist pal that I used to know, barely. Please don't tell me there's a 12-year-old kid waiting in the car that I've never met," Tony asked, looking half-serious even through his light tone.**

Pepper grimaced at the way she remembered that line making her feel, Clint already shaking in silent laughter. 

**"** **He's 13," She replies, making Tony gasp and flinch.**

Steve was already getting onto his high horse before she had finished the sentence.

"You have better taken responsibility for that kid! You've got enough money to-" 

"Steve," Nick interrupted with a grim face, knowing how embarrassed the Captain would be when she said the next sentence. He knew that Stark didn't have a kid, meaning that she couldn't be serious. 

**The woman smiled lightly, leaving her words hanging for a moment before going serious again. "** **No, I need your help," She finished.**

Steve went bright red and tried his hardest to melt into the couch, his age frame not helping in the slightest. Tony just moved closer to Thor and Bruce, not allowing his face to show just how much that comment bothered him. 

**"But, what for? Why now?" Tony questioned.**

**"Because I read the papers and frankly, I don't think you'll last the week," She informed him.**

**"I'll be fine," Tony replied easily.**

**"I'm sorry, with Happy in the hospital, I didn't know we were expecting guests," Pepper began as she came down the stairs.**

**"We weren't-," Tony interrupted half-heartedly.**

**"And old girlfriends," Pepper continued almost sarcastically.**

**"She's not, really," Tony protested.**

**"No, not really. I...it was just one night," Maya added.**

**"** **Yep," Tony continued.**

**"That's how you did it, isn't it?" Pepper commented snidely, looking for a reaction from them both.**

The billionaire sank into the comfort his two partners were offering him, glad when even Rhodey looked shocked at her poisonous behavior. 

**"It was a great night," Maya said almost idly, making Tony have to bite his cheek to stop from laughing at Pepper's face.**

**"Yep. Well, you know. You saved yourself a world of pain," Pepper informed her, tone teasing even though Tony could see the way she was being serious.**

"Damn, girl," Clint said with a whistle, his comment getting Natasha going.

"Hit him where it hurts!" She cheered sarcastically, glad when Pepper cringed back into the couch before Wanda could get in on her too. 

Tony gave them a grateful grimace before going back to ignoring the room at large. 

**"What?" Tony queried, a bit of hurt in his eyes obvious before he masked it.**

**"I'm sure," Maya replied.**

**"Trust me. We're going out of town," Pepper told them both, Tony's mild surprise clearly showing she had made that decision unanimously.**

**"Okay. We've been through this. Nope," Tony insisted.**

**"Yep!" Pepper replied.**

**"The man says no," Tony interrupted. Pepper continued like she thought it was a game and missed the steel under the billionaire's words.**

**"** **Immediately and indefinitely," She pushed.**

**"** **Honey..." Tony said imploringly, trying another tactic.**

"Oh, baby," Bruce said quietly, holding the smaller man closer to himself and Thor.

"Why are you comforting him?" Pepper snapped defensively, ignorant to the increasing revulsion the rest of the team felt towards her. 

"Because I've seen him literally work himself into a panic attack when I ordered dinner for him without asking first. That lack of control and especially so soon after Afganistan was probably one of the worst things that you've done to him," 

Nick, Natasha, and Rhodey all visually reacted to that, guilty as they remembered the things that they had done to him. 

Bruce just smiled at them mockingly before putting his attention into helping Tony calm himself. 

**"** **Great idea. Let's go," Maya added, putting in her opinion.**

**"** **I'm sorry, that's a terrible idea. Please don't touch her bags," Tony muttered, adding the last bit as Maya moved towards the bags on the floor.**

**"This is how normal people behave," Pepper reprimanded him.**

"Of course, mother. Right away, mother," Wanda said, her accent thick to get the point across.

She smiled viciously at Pepper's visceral reaction, reciprocating Natasha's fist pump without even looking. 

**"I can't protect you out there," Tony tried, over the entire conversation and hiding it well.**

**"Is... Is that normal?" Maya asked, looking at the huge fake custom rabbit warily.**

**"Sadly, that is very normal," Pepper told her without concern about sharing personal information as long as it wasn't her own.**

**"Yes, this is normal! It's a big bunny. Relax about it!" Tony added, allowing his agitation to show more clearly.**

**"Calm down," Pepper said condescendingly.**

The room was silent as they watched her cruelly disregard everything he was concerned about. 

**"I got this for you," Tony reminded her, hiding his feelings on her attitude with ease from lots of practice.**

**"I'm aware of that," Pepper replied, not changing her tone.**

**"You still haven't even told me you liked it," Tony complained.**

**"I don't like it," Pepper revealed like the billionaire didn't already know that.**

**"** **I asked you three...You don't like it," Tony says, faking his upset.**

"Gaslighting," Clint said between coughs, the room chuckling at his complete lack of concern at calling Pepper out. 

Putting a name to the action made Tony's head spin, forcefully making him remember every time that she had acted like she was doing him a favor by tolerating him. He flinched when Thor reached for him, coming back to himself and just smiling at his partners reassuringly. 

**"We are leaving the house," Pepper told him like it was her decision and her house.**

**"** **Guys?" Maya warned as she notices something on the television.**

**"** **That's not even up for discussion," Pepper continued, ignoring Maya as irrelevant.**

**"Can we, um..." Maya continued, pointing towards the television.**

**"** **I said no. What?" Tony said for the last time before looking towards Maya.**

**"Do we need to worry about that?" Maya questioned, pointing towards the television which showed Tony’s house with a missile heading straight for it.**

Clint visibly connected the dots between when Tony had been announced dead in the newspaper and the scene they were watching, filling Natasha and Wanda in on the timeline while the house blew up in the background. 

**The house exploded, Tony instantly calling his suit to go onto Pepper to protect her.** **The three fell to the floor and the scene cut to two helicopters approaching with Killian’s body guard, Savin, inside, one of the helicopters gearing up for another attack. Inside the mansion, Tony began to sit up, finally registering what he was seeing as Maya laying unconscious a few metres away from him.**

"That's why we don't live there," Tony said to Clint, referencing something he had said back when they were watching the first movie together. 

**Cracks then appeared on the ceiling above Tony but Pepper leaned over him just in time for the rubble to fall, protecting him.**

**"** **I got you.’ Pepper promised, the helmet flipping open.**

**"I got you first," Tony replied, clearly running on autopilot. "Like I said, we can't stay here,"**

Bruce snorted, holding Tony like a teddy bear and shaking him a bit in gentle reprimand. The way he did it didn't make Tony feel suffocated like it had when he was with Pepper, it felt warm- that someone cared enough to show him when he was toeing the line of too much. 

**Tony got up, the camera cutting to three approaching helicopters which fire again. Tony was thrown over the sofa by the impact.**

**"** **Move! I'm right behind you," Tony shouted to Pepper as he jumped over the sofa. The billionaire ran towards Pepper, the floor between them crumbling and falling.**

**Pepper stopped, looking back at Tony.**

**"Get her. I'm gonna find a way around. Stop stopping. Get her. Get outside. Go!" Tony yelled, relieved when Pepper listened, picking up Maya and helping her get outside. She attempted to use the repulsers to break the glass but she fired them the wrong way.**

**She and Maya are both forced through the glass and landed in a heap outside. Once they are outside the house collapsed further, the helicopters firing again.**

**"** **Oh, my God. Tony!" Pepper cried.**

**Inside the house Tony fell backwards over himself. Right when he was about to fall he grabbed onto a metal pole. His feet smashed through a glass window, the only thing between him and the ocean the air. He pulled himself painfully into a sitting position with his back to the window and the helicopters.**

**"** **Sir, Ms Potts is clear of the structure," Jarvis informed him.**

**Tony took a deep breath and called his suit back to him. The suit came flying off Pepper and inside the house instantly. Inside, the helicopters began firing bullets at Tony, forcing him to army crawl until he reached his suit.**

The entire room including Nick was on the edge of their seats. Pepper was seeing it from Tony's point of view for the first time but still no more interested than she had been the first time. 

**The suit then formed over him. He took another second before he turned to face the helicopters. Another missile then hit, making the house begin to topple over the cliff.**

**"** **Jarvis, where's my flight power?" Tony asked with increasing levels of panic as he began to fall towards the window.**

**"** **Working on it, sir. This is a prototype," Jarvis said, his tone obviously concerned now that it had lost the robotic edge.**

**Tony turned backward and grabbed onto a piece of concrete. He then attempted to fire something at the helicopters but everything was offline. He managed to let go in time to fire a repulser, sending the piano flying into one of the helicopters.**

**"** **That's one," Tony mumbled to himself as the first helicopter exploded.**

"Nice," Clint said, nodding like they were playing a video game and not watching the billionaire fighting for his life.

Tony nodded in thanks, glad that at least someone was trying to dispel the tension. 

**"Sir, the suit is not combat-ready," Jarvis informed him as Tony attempted to get the suit to work.**

**Tony turned and ran through the house, getting the other helicopter to fire bullets as he did so. As he reached a window he took an explosive from his arm, throwing it at the helicopter and firing a repulser at it to make it explode.**

**"** **That's two," Tony counted as the second helicopter went down.**

Bruce instantly winced, his brain automatically measuring the trajectory. He refused to answer the demanding looks of those around him, just pointing to the screen silently as his hands roamed Tony's body to reassure himself the billionaire was still there and whole. Thor and Bruce both had a hand over the reassuring buzz of the arc reactor, finding comfort in the thing that was more trouble than it was worth but a part of their love all the same. 

**The scene cut to Pepper watching the helicopter falling and then realizing that the last one is heading for the house.**

**"Oh," Tony said when he realized the same thing a second later.**

The room echoed the billionaire, some squinting with their concern. 

**The helicopter hit hard, making Tony immediately fall through a hole in the floor to his workshop. He grabbed onto something in an amazing show of reflexes, the camera panning to show DUM-E, looking broken and then to his cars, falling towards the cliff. The helicopter flew again, making several of Tony’s suits explode before the house finally toppled into the sea, taking Tony with it. Something got caught around his neck and began to drag him down faster.**

**The scene then cut to Pepper moving towards the cliff edge.**

**"** **Tony!" Pepper yelled as she stared over the cliff.**

**At the bottom of the sea, Tony struggled to free himself as his suit began to fill with water, rubble continuing to fall towards him.**

**He takes a panicked breath, finally managing to get the cables off himself but is then buried underneath the rubble of his own house. Above the surface, the third helicopter began to turn around and fly away. Tony barely got himself free, just one of his hands which reached above the rubble.**

**"** **Sir, take a deep breath," Jarvis warned, the hand detaching itself and flying upwards before going back down and pulling Tony from the rubble. The hand reattached itself and Tony’s helmet filled with air.**

**"Sir?" Jarvis questioned, his voice distant.**

"Holy shit," Clint muttered as some of the tension in the room went away, finally allowing himself to lean back into the comfortable couch. 

**The scene changed again.**

**Alarms blared in the suit, Jarvis's attempt to bring Tony to consciousness. "Sir!"**

**"** **All right, kill the alarm. I got it," Tony said groggily, brain not understanding what he was seeing.**

Thor chuckled at the billionaire's adorable confusion, ignoring the furious looks from around him because he knew what was about to happen. 

**"** **That's the emergency alert triggered by the power dropping below 5%," Jarvis informed the billionaire.**

**"on...on" Tony began.**

**"It's snowing, right? Where are we, upstate?" Tony asked.**

**"** **We are five miles outside of Rose Hill, Tennessee," Jarvis corrected gently.**

**"** **Why? Jarvis. Not my idea. What are we doing here? This is thousands of miles away! I gotta get Pepper. I gotta..." Tony stammered, not really having enough understanding of if he should be wearing his mask or not so using it anyways.**

**"** **I prepared a flight plan. This was the location," Jarvis replied, starting to gain a bit of his sarcasm as the worry lessened.**

Tony was perfectly content to just fall asleep in Thor and Bruce's arms, not wanting to watch the panic attacks and the confusion he had gone through for another moment. 

**"** **Who asked you?" Tony asked, clearly forgetting what they had been discussing before the helicopters.** **"** **Open the suit," Tony ordered.**

**"** **I...I think I may be malfunctioning, sir," The AI said, voice getting quieter.**

**"** **Open it, J," Tony ordered again, the suit opening immediately. Tony shivered, rubbing his hands together as quickly as he could, "That's brisk. Maybe I'll just cosy back up for a..." Tony said as he began to lie back down.**

**"** **I actually think I need to sleep now, sir," Jarvis alerted, his voice dropping off.**

**"** **Jarvis. Jarvis? Don't leave me, buddy," Tony pleaded in genuine fear, but there was no reply.**

Wanda winced, knowing just how important the AI was to the billionaire.

"I'm alright, Sir," Jarvis murmured as the heart rate of his creator went up, glad when the billionaire went back into his half-asleep haze. 

**The scene cut to Tony in a red phone booth.**

**"Stark secure server now transferring to all known receivers," A synthetic female voice said.**

**"** **Pepper, it's me. I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time.** **So... First off, I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid, and it won't happen again. Also, it's Christmas time and the rabbit's too big.** **Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because I can't come home yet. I need to find this guy. You gotta stay safe, that's all I know. I just stole a poncho from a wooden Indian," Tony said into the phone.**

 **As he says this the screen showed Tony dragging his suit through the snow. It then cut to Tony taking said poncho from said red Indian statue.** **He broke into a shed and heaved the suit onto a nearby sofa.**

Clint chuckled at that, easily deciding to not mention it until the next time the billionaire laughed at him for falling into a dumpster. 

**"** **Let's get you comfy. You happy now?" Tony asked rhetorically, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer.**

**"Freeze! Don't move," Said a young boy’s voice. The camera panning to reveal Harley with a potato gun.**

" **You got me. Nice potato gun. Barrel's a little long. Between that and the wide gauge it's gonna diminish your FPS," Tony informed him, word vomiting as he thought on the fly.**

"You've really got to stop giving people who want to hurt you tips to make their weapons more effective," Bruce said teasingly, just massaging the billionaire's scalp when he made a sleepy noise of acknowledgment. 

**Harley fired the gun and missed.**

**"** **And now you're out of ammo," Tony narrated.**

**"** **What's that thing on your chest?" Harley asked, curiosity overriding his self-preservation.**

**"It's an electromagnet. You should know, you got a box of them right here," Tony deflected, pointing to the box of magnets.**

**"What does it power?" Harley pushed.**

**Tony moved aside, revealing the suit. Harley gasped, his gun clattering to the ground in his shock.**

**"Oh, my God. That...That's...Is that Iron Man?" Harley asked.**

**"Technically, I am," Tony replied absentmindedly, already following another train of thought when it was clear Harley wasn't going to attack.**

**"Technically, you're dead," Harley countered, shoving a newspaper with Tony’s face on it and the headline ‘Stark presumed dead’ into his hands.**

**"Valid point," The billionaire allowed with a nod.**

Wanda looked unusually solemn, the kid reminder her more of Pietro than she was willing to admit. 

**"** **What happened to him?" Harley asked, crawling onto the sofa beside the suit with no fear.**

**"Life. I built him. I take care of him. I'll fix him," Tony responded.**

**"Like a mechanic?" Harley questioned, getting a closer look at the suit.**

**"** **Yeah," Tony answered.**

**"Hmm. If I was building Iron Man and War Machine-" Harley began, but Tony interrupted him.**

**"** **It's 'Iron Patriot' now…" Tony mumbled.**

**"** **That's way cooler," The kid exclaimed, interrupting the interruption.**

Steve chuckled, about to snipe at the billionaire for being taken down a peg by a kid before he met the silent glare of Bruce and Thor. They were both hovering over the sleeping billionaire protectively, their faces just asking for a reason. 

**"No, it's not," Tony retorted, faking hurt.**

**"** **Anyways, I would have added in, um, the retro..." Harley began.**

**"** **Retro-reflective panels?" Tony finished.**

**"** **To make him stealth mode," The kid added.**

**"** **You want a stealth mode?" The billionaire asked for clarification.**

**"Cool, right?" Harley commented, tone saying he didn't care but eyes telling a different story.**

"Did he ever do that?" Rhodey asked himself, trying as best he could to try and figure out what the kid was talking about before giving up and acknowledging that it just wasn't his strong suit. 

Bruce looked amused, knowing that the billionaire had started collaborating on a new suit for Harley but not saying anything. 

**"** **That's actually a good idea. Maybe I'll build one," Tony validated, face softening when Harley looked proud. "** **Not a good idea," Tony continued as he saw Harley playing with the fingers of the iron man suit.**

**"** **Oops," Harley muttered as a finger snapped off.**

" **What are you doing? You're gonna break his finger? He's in pain. He's been injured. Leave him alone," Tony complained.**

**"Sorry," Harley said sheepishly.**

**"** **Are you?" Tony asked, voice sharp but knew the smart kid could see his amusement.**

"He's a kid," Steve said with the same tone he used when he said the same thing about Wanda.

The woman in question winced at just how horrible it sounded, purposefully isolating Steve out of her powers and inhaling in shock when it felt like a weight wa taken off her shoulders. 

**"Don't worry about it, I'll fix it. So, uh, who's home?" Tony asked, starting to lose focus again.**

**"Well, my mom already left for the diner and Dad went to 7-11 to get scratchers. I guess he won- because that was six years ago," Harley said completely nonchalant.**

**"** **Hmm. Which happens. Dads leave. No need to be a pussy about it," Tony replied, loosening up once he realized how the kid understood his humor.**

Clint chuckled sardonically, seeing the kindred spirit Tony and the kid both had and sympathizing. 

**"** **Here's what I need. A laptop, a digital watch, a cell phone, the pneumatic actuator from your bazooka over there, a map of town, a big spring, and a tuna fish sandwich." Tony listed, more to himself than Harley.**

**"** **What's in it for me?" Harley questioned like a true businessman.**

**"** **Salvation. What's his name?" Tony asked, using his deductions to quicken the process.**

**"** **Who?" Harley queried, not even having to act like he wasn't confused.**

**"** **The kid that bullies you at school. What's his name?" Tony asked again with clarification.**

"How did you know that he was being bullied?" Steve demanded, waking the genius up with his loud volume.

"He's a science nerd with an absent father, been there done that- got the t-shirt," He mumbled, nuzzling into Bruce's shirt and trying to go back asleep without realizing just how open he had been in his exhaustion. 

Steve looked furious before remembering everything else he had learned about Howard and shutting his mouth, Rhodey and Pepper both grim. 

**"** **How'd you know that?" Harley questioned, still looking confused.**

**"** **I got just the thing. This is a pinata for a cricket," Tony lied as he pulled out a small silver object. "** **I'm kidding. This is a very powerful weapon. Point it away from your face, press the button on top, it discourages bullying," Tony said, selling it as he would to a board member. "** **Non-lethal, just to cover one's ass," Tony finished, offering him the silver object, "Deal? Deal? What do you say?" Pulling the silver object away from Harley as he reached out for it.**

**"** **Deal," Harley agreed.**

**"** **Deal?" Tony repeated, handing the object over without any more fuss.** **"** **What's your name?" Tony asked after he realized he didn't know what to call the kid.**

**"Harley. And you're..." Harley answered, leaving his question open-ended.**

**"The mechanic. Tony. You know what keeps going through my head? 'Where's my sandwich?'" Tony said, asking through jokes if Harley has what he asked for.**

Fury's small smile was bittersweet, remembering a young voice calling him Uncle Nick before remembering exactly what he had done to crush that relationship. 

**The scene cut to the outside of Tony’s mansion which is surrounded by reporters.**

**"Where is Tony Stark?" asked one of them.**

**The camera panned to Pepper holding an iron man helmet. She puts her forehead to it, only then noticing a faint red light, pulsing.** **She only hesitated for a minute before putting it on her head.**

**"** **Stark secure server. Retinal scan verified," The synthesized female voice said for the second time.**

**"** **Pepper, it's me," Pepper's gasp at the confirmation that Tony was alive was a little heartbreaking, showing she cared in some capacity at least.**

Rhodey looked relieved that the woman at least cared for the billionaire a little bit, the doubt he had felt telling him just how he was feeling more than anything else the movies had showed him. 

**"I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time. So... First off, I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid and it won't happen again," Tony’s voice played through the speakers, the same as before.**

**The scene changed to Pepper in a car with Maya Hansen.**

"You got in a car with her?" Rhodey asked incredulously, his military training screaming at how bad that was for everyone involved. 

Pepper's expression said she was willing to die on that hill, Clint just shaking his head and sharing a look with Rhodey. 

**"** **Why were you at the house tonight? What was so important that you had to speak to Tony?" Pepper queried, completely at ease.**

**"I think that my boss is working for the Mandarin. So, if you still want to talk about it, I suggest that we get ourselves someplace safe," Maya said in clipped sentences.**

**"** **Your boss works for the Mandarin, you think? But Tony says you're a botanist. So..." Pepper questioned.**

**"** **That figures. What I actually am is a biological DNA coder running a team of 40 out of a privately funded think tank. But sure, you can call me a botanist," Maya remarked, not bothering to hide her amusement.**

**"This boss of yours, does he have a name?" Pepper asked.**

**"** **Yeah, Aldrich Killian," Maya replied easily, way too easily.**

Pepper was watching the movie on the edge of her seat, much more worried for herself now that she had the real backstory she had missed the first time around. 

**The scene cut to Savin, who was on the phone.**

**"** **Well, we took the house down, sir. But there's no sign of a body," He said, the scene cutting to Killian on the other side.**

**"** **Mmm-hmm. I see." He hummed.**

**"** **No Stark," Savin added for clarification.**

**"I have to go. The master is about to record and he's a little...Well, you know how he gets. Keep your appointment tonight and call me when it's done," Killian excused himself, barely even hanging up before he was walking through to a television set, where the crew was setting up.** " **All right, everybody. No talking and no eye contact. Unless you want to get shot in the face," Killian said with a maliciously teasing smile.**

Clint's instinct was telling him that the man was dangerous more so than anyone else in the room, causing himself and Natasha to be more on edge than they had been the entire movie. 

**"Report in. Path is clear. The master is traveling," A bodyguard said as the Mandarin could be seen walking towards a film set.**

**"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" The Mandarin asked in his husky voice.**

**The scene then changed back to Tony and Harley.**

**"** **The sandwich was fair, the spring was a little rusty, the rest of the materials, I'll make do. By the way, when you said your sister had a watch..." Tony said with real amusement, looking down at a Dora the Explorer watch.**

The entire team started cracking up, the sheer volume waking Tony up who promptly went back to sleep once he saw Bruce and Thor laughing with them. Their relaxed body language letting him calm down. 

**"** **Yeah?" Harley questioned like he had no idea why the billionaire was bringing up the watch.**

**"** **I was kind of hoping for something a little more adult than that," Tony replied, easily finding it the most hilarious thing that had happened in the past day.**

**"She's six," Harley said with a laugh, finally giving in, "Anyway, it's a limited edition. When can we talk about New York?"**

**"Maybe never. Relax about it," Tony said, his tone going a bit less relaxed at the thought of the invasion.**

**"** **What about the Avengers? Can we talk about them?" Harley questioned, continuing to push just to see how far he could go.**

Fury winced, having a good idea where that was probably going to go and just watching it like a person watches a car crash from the sidelines. 

**"I dunno. Later. Hey, kid, give me a little space," Tony asked, allowing himself to look uncomfortable in the hopes the cunning kid would back off.** **"** **What's the official story here? What happened?" Tony questioned as they passed some kind of memorial with five shadows that resemble bodies.**

**"** **I guess this guy named Chad Davis used to live roundabouts. He won a bunch of medals in the army. And one day, folks said he went crazy and made, you know, a bomb. Then he blew himself up, right here," Harley informed him, letting the billionaire change the subject.**

**"** **Six people died, right?" Tony double-checked, already completely focused on the shadows rather than his past discomfort.**

**"Yeah," Harley agreed, not really seeing where the billionaire was going with it.**

**"Including Chad Davis," Tony clarified again.**

**"Yeah, yeah," Harley confirmed impatiently.**

**"** **Yeah. That doesn't make sense. Think about it. Six dead. Only five shadows," Tony muttered to himself more than Harley.**

**"Yeah. People said these shadows are like the marks of souls going to heaven. Except the bomb guy. He went to hell, on account of he didn't get a shadow. That's why there's only five," Harley told.**

"Religion is not an excuse to be a dumb ass," Wanda muttered, ignoring Steve's _'language'_ comment and laughing with the rest of the room as the last of the tension popped. 

**"** **Do you buy that?" Tony asked seriously, looking like he was about to check the kid for a fever.**

**"** **It's what everyone says," Harley replied, not giving an inch.** **"You know what this crater reminds me of?" Harley asked, tone saying he was going to start pushing again.**

**"No idea. I'm not...I don't care," Tony answered, having a good idea where the kid was going with that.**

**"** **That giant Wormhole in, um, in New York. Does it remind you?" Harley questioned cheekily, truly not realizing that he was pushing Tony into a major panic attack.**

**"That's manipulative. I don't want to talk about it," Tony said quietly, try to push the panic down mostly unsuccessfully.**

**"Are they coming back? The aliens?" Harley queried.**

**"Maybe. Can you stop? Remember what I told you, that I have an anxiety issue?" Tony reminded him, genuinely not finding the kid's cunning edge funny anymore.**

**"Does this subject make you edgy?" Harley asked like he didn't know.**

**"Yeah, a little bit. Can I just catch my breath for a second?" Tony questioned, only another question away from literally begging for space.**

**"** **Are there bad guys in Rose Hill? Do you need a plastic bag to breathe into? Do you have medication?" Harley asked, finally getting a clue.**

**"No," Tony replied, one word answers the best Harley was going to get out of him.**

**"** **Do you need to be on it?" Harley continued with his questioning again.**

**"** **Probably," Tony admitted to the first person besides himself.**

Rhodey flinched as the reality that Tony really wasn't okay was thrown into his face, knowing it was bad by the fact that he just admitted that he needed help. 

**"** **Do you have PTSD?" Harley asked seriously.**

**"I don't think so," Tony replied more to the fact he was objecting to the line of questioning than that he didn't have PTSD.**

**"Are you going completely mental?" Harley questioned, "I can stop. Do you want me to stop?"**

**"** **Remember when I said to stop doing that? I swear that you're gonna freak me out," Tony muttered, walking away from him, "Ah, man, you did it, didn't you? You happy now?"**

**"** **What did I say? Hey! Wait up! Wait, wait. What the hell was that?" Harley asked as he went over towards the billionaire.**

**"Your fault," Tony accused, throwing a snowball at Harley. "You spazzed me out," Tony protested completely seriously as he slowly recovered from the panic attack.**

**"** **Okay, back to business. Where were we?" Tony asked before he sniffed, "The guy who died. Relatives? Mom? Mrs. Davis, where is she?"**

**"Where she always is," Harley replied easily.**

**"See? Now, you're being helpful," Tony said, relieved to be done with all other lines of questioning.**

Everyone looked at the billionaire sleeping in between Thor and Bruce, seeing the way he looked so vulnerable in his sleep and wondering if they had really been so wrong about him.

* * *

_Sorry for the wait, I've been busy lately and these always take me forever to edit. (Roseriley0612@gmail.com) Email or comment if you have any prompts/pairings that you would like to see from me. -Rose_


	4. Melting

**The scene cut to Tony wrapping a scarf around himself and walking towards a bar.**

"Typical," 

Tony tactfully ignored the Captain's words, tapping Bruce and Thor to get them to stay seated. 

**"Uh...Sorry," Tony said as he knocked into a woman. He then noticed that she'd dropped something, causing him to pick it up to give it back to her.**

**"Lady? Is this, uh..." he called, handing it back to her.**

**"Thank you," She replied easily, taking it back without a second thought.**

**"Nice haircut. It suits you," Tony complimented, turning on the charm.**

**"Nice watch," She responded in kind.**

**"Yeah. A limited-edition," He answered without any hint of embarrassment.**

Wanda laughed then, already halfway there as she watched the billionaire shmooze. Keeping her powers locked down had changed the way she viewed several people, the only reason why haunting the corners of her mind. Tony discretely pointed out the laughing Sokovian to Bruce, the visible difference making the other scientist's face shutter with pity and horror at the implications. 

**"Oh, I don't doubt it," She replied, "Well, have a good evening,"**

**Tony walks into the bar.**

**"Excuse me," Tony called out as he passed through a crowd of people.** **"Mrs Davis?" Tony asked as he registered seeing a woman drinking alone, "Mind if I join you?"**

**"Free country," She replied with steel in her voice.**

Pepper looked like she was about to start a riot if Tony didn't say something polite, only settling back down at the next sentence. Once Tony would have found that cute but now he just wondered how he didn't see everything she did as condescending earlier. 

**"Sure is," Tony agreed, giving easily.**

**"All right. Where would you like to start?" She questioned with resignation.**

**"I just want to say, I'm sorry about your loss. I want to know what you think happened," Tony queried, more gently than he usually would have bothered.**

**"Look, I brought your damn file. You take it, go. Whatever was in here, he wanted no part of it," She said quickly, passing him a file.**

**"Clearly, you're waiting for someone else. Huh? Supposed to meet someone here?" Tony asked as he flicked through the file.**

**"Yeah," She confirmed.**

**"Mrs Davis, your son didn't kill himself. I guarantee you, he didn't kill anyone. Someone used him," Tony told her, needing her cooperation.**

**"What?" She asked in visible shock.**

**"As a weapon," Tony continued.**

**"You're not the person that called me after all, are you?" She said aloud, realizing it for herself at the same moment.**

"Smart girl," Natasha said with approval, Clint nodding along with her. 

**"Actually, I am," Another voice said, the woman from earlier, Brandt, putting her hand on the table.**

**Suddenly she grabbed Tony's arm and twisted it, forcing his face down against the table. The billionaire allowed it, wanting to see where this was going.**

"You didn't fight that whatsoever. You let her pin you?" The archer just mostly looked confused, no hidden accusation in his gaze.

"Something was off about her. I knew that when I bumped into her so I wanted to see where it was going to go if I let her do her thing," 

Bruce and Thor didn't look happy at the announcement but with another look at the screen quickly realized he really did have everything under control. 

**"Hey, hey, hey! What's all this about? What the hell is going on here?" A sheriff sitting at a nearby table asked.**

**"It's called an arrest," She said as she handcuffed Tony and threw him to the floor, "Sheriff, is it?" She asked.**

**"Yes, ma'am, it is. And you are?" He asked warily.**

**"Homeland Security. We good here?" She answered as she held up a badge.**

**"No, we're not 'good'. I need a little more information than that," He said, his body tensing.**

**"Well, I think it's a little above your pay grade, Sheriff," She mocked.**

Natasha was cringing away from the screen in a barely noticeable way, already knowing that nothing good was going to come from that conversation. 

**"Yeah? Well, why don't you get on the horn to Nashville and, uh, upgrade me?" He responded. As he says this, Tony nodded to Mrs Davis, getting her to slide the file across the floor so that it's out the way.**

The three spies all nodded in approval, Fury more relaxed than he had been when everything started even if he was still very obviously uncomfortable. 

**"All right. You know what? I was hoping to do this the smart way, but, uh, the fun way is always good," She replied, her hand beginning to glow around a metal object.**

**"Deputy, get this woman out of..." The sheriff ordered, only to get cut off by Brandt holding the metal thing to his face, making him shout. She then pulled him close and grabbed his gun from his pocket, shooting him twice. Tony got up and hauled ass outside.**

"Coward," Steve spat with disgust in his eyes.

"I'm sorry that I'm not bulletproof. Next time I'll just let the crazy man I've known for all of a week experiment on me," Tony's smirk was vicious, the spies and his partners both having to hold back laughter as the Irish man just got more puffed up in his indignation. 

"Erskine was a great man! So was your father for that matter-" 

"Ok" Tony cut him off, not letting the man see how his callous words bothered him but feeling the cigar burns on his shoulders burn in memory anyways. 

**"Hey, hot wings, you want to party? Come on, you and me, let's go," Tony taunted as he turned to face the doorway he'd just come out of. As he turned away he saw Savin getting out of a nearby car with a hot drink.**

**The bodyguard threw it away and ran towards the billionaire, pulling out a gun and shooting at him twice while he was still moving. However, he missed as Harley's snowball hit him, the kid then hiding behind a lamppost.**

Pepper and Steve both looked like they were going to lecture Tony before seeing the way Natasha was staring at the billionaire protectively, deciding not to get between the Widow and her prey.

**"Crazy, huh?" Tony commented, hiding his alarm, to the man hiding nearby as he took cover behind a car.**

**"Yep," He agreed.**

**"Watch this," Tony responded, turning and running before jumping through the window of a nearby building.**

Before Steve even had the chance to say anything else derogative Wanda, of all people, put a hand over his mouth. Tony froze in shock along with the rest of the room, snapping out of it when the girl just shook her head and nodded to the screen. 

**Meanwhile, Brandt walked towards him, not seeing a guy coming up behind her with a gun but she did hear him loading it. She turned around and ripped it out of his hand, turning it on Tony who ran and slid behind a counter before she shot.**

**She walked forward and took off her jacket, Tony crouching with his back against the counter before quickly turning to see Brandt there.** **She grabbed him and pinned him against the wall, punching him before slamming him against the table by grabbing the chain between the handcuffs. He rolled to a stand but she pinned him against the wall again. She grinned viciously, grabbing his face with her hands right as they began to glow.**

Bruce and Thor were on the edge of their seats, Bruce going through a mental analysis on the way Extremis worked inside the woman and Thor checking his fighting skills. 

**Tony swung around and jumped over the counter, hooking his handcuffs around her head. Her neck began to glow then, the heat melting the handcuffs and subsequently freeing Tony's hands.**

Nick whistled sharply in interest, leaning back to watch from a more comfortable position. Tony almost wanted to ask him if he wanted a beer to see if he would clamp but up or laugh- a feeling he hadn't had to deal with for over 30 years that almost threw him headfirst into a very public panic attack. Only his partner's supportive presence calming him. 

**Tony yelled as he dropped the handcuffs that were burning him, then kicked over a bottle of oil. Brandt kicked the handcuffs into it, setting it on fire and blocking her off.**

**However, she was able to just walk right through it.**

"Well shit," Rhodey murmured, comparing the fight he remembered to that particular ability and seeing how they used it more recreationally. 

**Tony went into the kitchen and set the microwave.**

**"You walked right into this one- I've dated hotter chicks than you," Tony mocked.**

Natasha gave a huff of surprised laughter at that, Clint openly cracking up and not bother to hide it. Wanda was hiding a smile behind her hand and Tony could swear he saw Nick's mouth twitch. 

**Brandt finally got through the fire and opened the door, falling to her knees.**

**"That's all you got?" She asked viciously, "A cheap trick and a cheesy one-liner?"**

**Tony promptly unplugged a gas cylinder.**

**"Sweetheart, that could be the name of my autobiography," Tony replied just for the look of disgust on her face before turning and running away.**

Rhodey and the rest of the Avengers cracked up at that, even Steve giving up and smiling. 

**It is revealed that there are two metal tags in the microwave. That and the gas together then cause an explosion.**

**Tony, having sheltered behind a fridge door, came out stumbling. The billionaire looked up and saw Brandt hung over an electric line, clearly dead. He then noticed a water tower leaning slightly nearby. It is revealed that Savin was using his powers to melt the support column.**

The tension got higher in the room. 

**The billionaire ran as it fell over but he got caught behind a metal fence. The water tower fell, Tony's leg caught painfully underneath the rubble. He attempted to lift it but ultimately failed.**

Rhodey looked like he was going to lecture the billionaire right alongside Pepper before the military man backed off. Pepper followed suit with a furious glare at Tony and Rhodey. 

**"Let me go!" Harley's voice distracted him, looking up just in time to see Savin coming towards him with Harley slung over his back.**

**Tony frantically tried to free himself.**

**"Help me!" Savin said, mockingly, as he put Harley down and sat him on his knee, "Anyway- Hey, kid, what would you like for Christmas?"**

"Pervert," Natasha scoffed in disgust, her lip curling. 

**"Mr Stark, I am so sorry," Harley said to the billionaire, electing to ignore the man holding him hostage.**

**"No, no, no. I think he was trying to say, 'I want my goddamn file.'" Savin said for him.**

**"It's not your fault, kid. Remember what I told you about bullies?" Tony asked, not doing anything to give himself away.**

Wanda and Clint got it instantly right alongside Bruce, all watching with more interest. 

**Harley suddenly remembered the device Tony gave him earlier. He twisted away and activated it, a blinding light setting itself off and forcing Savin to drop the kid. Harley didn't wait for another second to take his chance and instantly ran away.**

"You gave that to him and were going to let him use it on other children?" Pepper said furiously, rounding on the billionaire without anyone's support.

"It's an overpowered flashlight that would give the kid enough time to run while the attackers were disoriented. I needed his help and he's old enough not to be a dumb ass about it," Tony defended himself easily, long past caring about her opinion of him. 

**"You like that, Westworld? That's the thing about smart guys, we always cover our ass," Tony said as he activated a flight stabiliser and shot Savin.**

**Tony shouted as it melted and fell off of his hand.**

**The scene cut to Tony walking away with the file in his hand.**

**"** **You're welcome," Harley said, catching up to Tony without much effort.**

**"For what? Did I miss something?" Tony asked half distracted, his mind already on the next thing.**

**"Me, saving your life," Harley answered with a smirk, clearly enjoying the banter.**

"He saved your life and now you're ignoring him?" 

Steve was properly worked up after being denied his 'right' to argue for the past minutes, bright red in anger, clenching fists, physical domination even from sitting.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," 

Natasha and Bruce understood after a moment, realizing that he meant the fact that the soldier didn't understand sarcasm. They laughed without restraint, Clint joining after another moment as Tony smirked quietly from his place between Thor and Bruce. 

**"Yeah. A, I saved you first. B, thanks. Sort of. And C, if you do someone a solid, don't be a yutz. All right? Just play it cool. Otherwise, you come off grandiose," Tony lectured lightly to the kid as he finally reached the car and unlocked it.**

**"** **Unlike you? Admit it, you need me. We're connected," Harley replied, thinking on his feet.**

**"** **What I need is for you to go home, be with your mom, keep your trap shut, guard the suit, and stay connected to the telephone because if I call, you better pick up. Okay?** **Can you feel that? We're done here. Move out of the way, or I'm gonna run you over,"**

Steve looked like he was going to comment before he remembered the lingering embarrassment he was still dealing with. 

**Harley just looked amused by the whole situation.**

**"** **Bye, kid," Tony got into the car and revved the engine without another word, "I'm sorry, kid. You did good," Tony said, getting serious again.**

**"So, now you're just gonna leave me here, like my dad?" Harley said, making a valiant effort into looking hurt.**

The Captain looked like he was going to try to appeal to Tony despite his hurt pride before he changed his mind and glared disapprovingly when Clint chuckled. 

**"Yeah. Wait, you're guilt-tripping me, aren't you?" Tony realized a second too late, off his game as the day's events caught up with him.**

**"I'm cold," Harley whined childishly, theatrically wrapping his blanket around himself tighter.**

**"I can tell," Tony said, mockingly, "You know how I can tell? Because we're connected,"**

That got everyone to laugh, even a reluctant Steve and Pepper. 

"Have I told you I love you today, Beloved?" Thor asked through rumbling chuckles, holding the billionaire harder to him when the Italian's expression went soft.

"I love you too," Tony murmured against the god's lips, losing himself in the comfort of his two partners.

Bruce was rubbing the billionaire's hip bones, content to just watch the show. Steve looked completely disgusted as the couple languidly made out before a sharp look from Fury had him turning his attention back to the screen. 

**He then drove off without another word.**

**"It was worth a shot," Harley commented to himself.**

Steve went a bit red when he realized that he had been played by the child's act before trying to play it off like nobody knew what he was doing. 

**The scene cut to Savin lying on some rubble. His skin glowed as his head wound healed. He then coughed and began to get up, groaning.**

"That's not going to end well," Clint murmured, cuddling closer to Natasha once it was clear the danger was over for the moment. 

**The scene cut to an advert for a Christmas tree.**

**"You get this. It's affordable. It's gorgeous. It goes with any decor..." The announcer said.**

**Suddenly the screen is cut off by the Mandarin’s sign.** **The scene changed again to a news broadcasting room where their screens were also being taken over by the Mandarin’s sign.**

Most of the Avengers had never seen the chaos the Mandarin brought, sitting up to watch. 

**"** **What happened to picture?" A woman asked mildly.**

**"** **Go to override," Another woman said.**

**"How is this happening again?" Yet another woman asked as she entered the room.**

"Seriously? That's all it takes to impress them?" Tony was shocked as he pulled away from Thor's lips, rather than trying to show off, getting an indulgent smile from Bruce.

"Not everyone is a genius," The other scientist teased, taking the opportunity to make out with the billionaire now that he wasn't occupied by Thor. 

**The scene cut to a flight control centre.**

**"** **Fine. Override to Los Angeles," A guy replied.**

**"I'm trying. There's nothing I can..." A woman said in annoyance.**

**The scene cut to a bar and then back to the broadcasting room.**

**"Well, where is the feed coming from?" a woman asked intelligently.**

**"** **I don't know, it's in all of our receivers, and I..." Another guy replied,**

**"The entire East Coast, the satellites are down," The woman interrupted.**

**"** **It's not just our station," Another woman responded.**

**"What about a backup manual?" A guy asked.**

"Seriously?" Tony murmured against Bruce's lips before deciding to ignore the movie completely, submerging himself in the feelings his partners inspired in him. 

**The scene cut to the Vice President, called Rodriguez, surrounded by a bunch of Aides.**

**"We have an unauthorised broadcast cutting through...Mr Vice President, I think you should see this," An Aide said as he looked up from a laptop.**

**"** **Oh, God, not again. Is the President getting this?" Rodriguez asked idly as he looked at the screen showing the Mandarin sign.**

**The scene cut to the President on a plane, surrounded by Aides, watching a screen with the Mandarin’s sign on which then cut to the Mandarin himself.**

**"Mr President. Only two lessons remain. And I intend to finish this before Christmas morning," He said.**

**The camera panned down to show that the Mandarin was holding a gun up to a man in a suit.**

**"** **Meet Thomas Richards. Good strong name. Good strong job. Thomas, here, is an accountant for the Roxxon Oil Corporation. But I'm sure he's a really good guy. I'm going to shoot him in the head, live on your television in 30 seconds," He threatened.**

**"No!" Thomas cried out.**

**"The number for this telephone is in your cell phone. Exciting, isn't it, imagining how it got there? America, if your president calls me in the next half-minute, Tom lives. Go!" The Mandarin ordered.**

**The president looked at his phone and saw that a number came up.**

**"How did he hack my phone?" The President asked himself.**

"Even I can do that," Clint said in no small amount of disbelief once he realized that the billionaire was too preoccupied to comment.

Nick chuckled a little at how oblivious the entire team seemed to be to the fact that they weren't normal people. 

**"We can't allow terrorists to dictate..." The Aide said, immediately realizing that the President intended to pick up.**

**"I have to make this call," The President said, more to himself than the other man.**

**"I'd strongly advise against that," The man said after a resigned sigh.**

**"This is the right thing to do,"**

**The president rang and it rang out on the television.**

**The Mandarin instantly shot Tom.**

"I don't negotiate with terrorists," Tony said, finally pulling back away from Bruce's mouth just to watch the way the man smirked in recognition. 

**"** **There's just one lesson left, President Ellis. So run away, hide, kiss your children goodbye. Because nothing, not your army, not your red, white and blue attack dog, can save YOU. I'll see you soon," The Mandarin threatened.**

**"Tell Rhodes, find this lunatic right now," The President said faintly.**

**"Sir, we tracked the broadcast signal. We have a possible point of origin in Pakistan** **and the Patriot is ready to strike," A military Aide told the President.**

**"Right now?" The President asked.**

**"** **Yes, sir,"**

**The scene cut to Tony driving away in a car. He picked up the documents and flicked through them before throwing them down on the seat beside him.**

**"Man. Happy, Happy, Happy" He whispered to himself absently.**

**He then picked a piece of paper and turned it over, only taking a second to recognize AIM written in the corner.**

Pepper got really red and leaned down in her seat a bit, realizing just how efficiently Aldrich had played her. 

**The scene cut to Rhodey breaking into a place in Pakistan.**

**"Don't move!" Rhodey yelled as he held up his repulsers, not letting down his guard when his phone suddenly rang.**

**"Uh...Hang on a second. Hello?" Rhodey answered the phone seemingly carelessly, his body language saying he never let his attention leave his surroundings.**

"You answered a phone call during a mission?" Steve said with incredulity, rage lining his words.

"I distinctly remember turning the phone off so that meant that there were only two people it could have been; Jarvis or Tony," 

Steve didn't look like he was going to back down but a raised eyebrow from Rhodey later he leaned back and sulked. 

**"You ever have a chick straddling you and you look up and suddenly she's glowing from the inside out, kind of a bright orange?" Tony asked through the phone.**

**"Yeah, I've had that. Who is this?" Rhodey said easily, not daring to hope but knowing the answer anyways.**

**"It's me, pal. Now, last time I went missing, if I remember correctly, you came looking for me. What are you doing?" Tony questioned the military man completely serious.**

**"A little knock-and-talk, making friends in Pakistan. What are you doing?" Rhodey shot back instantly.**

**"Your redesign, your big rebrand, that was AIM, right?" Tony replied seemingly going off on a tangent.**

**"Yeah," Rhodey replied slowly.**

**"I'm gonna find a heavy-duty comm sat right now, I need your login," The billionaire asked, finally getting to the point.**

"Why didn't you just get it yourself?" Clint asked, knowing it would be faster to get it from Rhodey but wondering why he involved the man at all.

"I was using it as an excuse to tell him I was alive," 

Clint nodded and let it go, his easy-going attitude not failing him. 

**"It's the same as it's always been, 'WarMachine68,'" Rhodey answered.**

**"And password, please," Tony prompted, not wanting to have to do more work than strictly needed.**

**"** **Well, look, I gotta change it every time you hack in, Tony," Rhodey complained, stalling very obviously.**

**"It's not the '80s, nobody says 'hack' any more. Give me your login," Tony asked again, lightening when he realized that it must be bad.**

**"'WAR MACHINE ROX' with an 'X', all caps," Rhodey finally gave, shutting his eyes slightly longer than necessary to blink.**

The room roared with laughter, Tony holding onto Bruce as he couldn't help himself.

"It's better the second time," He said between gasps. 

**A guy laughed, holding out his gun. Tony then laughed as well.**

**"Yeah, okay," Rhodey said with faux annoyance.**

**"That is so much better than 'lron Patriot,'" Tony couldn't stop himself from commenting, spinning the car around and driving the other way.**

**The scene cut to a beauty Pagent, the presenter questioning one of the models.**

**"Very nice. Very nice. I have one question for you. What would you like for Christmas this year?" the presenter asked with a press smile.**

Natasha winced, looking very much like she had been there and hated every second of it. Tony was about to ask before the woman made eye contact, practically begging to not have to talk about it in a 'God, no' way rather than a trauma way. The billionaire conceded with a nod, his eyes telling her she was going to tell him the story later. 

**"Well, David..." the model simpered in reply.**

**The scene cut to Tony, outside the building, trying to be inconspicuous.**

**"Do not erase a programme from my DVR unless you are 100% sure..." said a camera guy on the phone as he passed Tony, the billionaire blatantly sneaking into his van.**

**"One more time! Ms Elk Ridge, everybody! All right," The announcer said as it cut back to the judges.**

**The scene then changed to inside the van where Tony was messing with the controls.**

**"Because you erase my shows!" The cameraman protested from outside the van.**

**"That ain't gonna cut it," Tony commented in dismay as he looked at the screen.**

Bruce looked suitably horrified enough for Tony, getting him a kiss for his sensibility. 

**"** **We talked about this. Excuse me, sir. I don't know who..." The man who owned the van came back in, instantly talking when he saw Tony.**

**"Shh," Tony said, putting a finger on his lips as he turned around.**

"Stark and his dramatics," Wanda said, her accent thick, but for once her words were teasing rather than biting.

The billionaire smiled at her, genuinely smiled, and got an adorable grin back. Tony poked Bruce to get him to look, smiling at his partner when he just looked fond. 

**"Mom, I need to call you back. Something magical is happening. Tony Stark is in my van," The cameraman said, already excited.**

**"Shh. Keep it down," Tony protested, losing a bit of his nonchalant attitude.**

**"Tony Stark is in my van!" The cameraman repeated, only getting louder.**

**"No, he's not," Tony said with a hint of steel.**

**"I knew you were still alive!"**

**"Come on in. Close the door," The billionaire said, getting the guy to come in and close the door.**

**"Oh, wow. Can I just say, sir..." He began only to be interrupted by Tony.**

**"Yep," Tony replied.**

**"I am your biggest fan,"**

**"Okay. First, is this your van? Is anyone else gonna come in?" Tony asked rapid-fire.**

**"No, no, no. Just us," The cameraman said, looking excited by the prospect.**

**"Great. What's your name?" Tony questioned.**

**"Gary"**

**"** **Gary" Tony repeated without emotion.**

"That's unfortunate," Rhodey said, wincing when he thought about the nightmare the name much have given the guy. 

Tony hummed in agreement. 

**"Oh, wow," Gary said, incredulously, as they shake hands.**

**"Right there is fine," Tony said after a long moment.**

**"Okay,"**

**"Okay? I get a lot of this, it's okay,"**

**"Oh, good. Can I just say?-" The cameraman started slightly hesitant.**

**"What do you want? Yeah," Tony replied easily.**

**"I don't know if you can tell, but I have, like, patterned my whole look after you. My hair's a little..." he continued until Tony interrupted again.**

**"It's** **fine," Tony assured him, very obviously uncomfortable.**

**"It's not right, 'cause there's no product in it," He explained.**

**"Right," Tony said.**

**"I don't want to make things awkward for you, but I do have to show you... Boom!" He said as he lifted his arm to show a really bad tattoo of Tony’s face.**

Natasha literally hid her face in her hands, peeking between her fingers before shuddering a bit and blindfolding herself again. Clint cracked up, triggering the rest of the room. 

**"A Hispanic Scott Baio," Tony guessed, genuinely trying to work out what it was before his eyes went a little wide as he pieced a couple of things together.** **"** **I'm sorry. Is that me?" he said blankly as he suddenly realized what it was supposed to be.**

**"Yeah. It's... I mean...I had them do it off a doll that I made, so it's not like it's off a picture. So it's a little bit..." he explained defensively.**

The volume of the room was sky-high, everybody laughing at the sheer amount of hidden horror on Tony's face. 

**"Gary. Listen to me, okay? I don't want to clip your wings, here. We're both a little over-excited.** **I got an issue. I'm chasing bad guys. I'm trying to grab a little something from some hard-crypt data files. I don't have enough juice. I need you to jump on the roof... Right? Recalibrate the lSDNs. Pump it up by about 40%," Tony asked.**

**"Got it," Gary said easily, not showing whether he understood or not.**

**"All right? It's a mission," Tony said, trying to get him on board.**

**"Yeah," Gary said, looking much more excited by the prospect.**

**"Tony needs Gary," Tony began, looking like he was internally asking someone to end it for him.**

**"And Gary needs Tony," Gary finished.**

The amusement turned to variations of amusement and morbid fascination, Tony watching the train wreck for the second time and finding it just as bad as the first time. 

**"Be quiet about it. Go," Tony ordered.**

**"Yeah," He repeated as he went outside.**

**Tony entered in the username and password that Rhodey gave him to the computer and brought up some video files of Killian’s experiments.**

**It began with a video of Killian questioning a guy.**

**"What would you regard as the defining moment of your life?" Killian asked completely professionally.**

**"Well, uh, I think that would be the day I decided not to let my injury beat me," He replied earnestly.**

Nick winced slightly, never having seen the footage but having seen enough to know where this was going. 

**The next video showed him questioning Brandt.**

**"** **Will you please state your name for the camera?" Killian asked.**

**"** **Ellen Brandt," She said easily.**

**"Okay. So, the injections are administered periodically. Addiction will not be tolerated. And those who cannot regulate will be out from the programme," Killian told her.**

**The scene cut to Killian talking to a group of volunteers.**

**"Once misfits, cripples... You are the next iteration of human evolution," Killian monologues.**

The billionaire winced at the words, somehow they sounded worse the second time around. 

**Tony opened another video that showed the test subjects being prepared for the experiment before being injected with Extremis.**

**"Everybody, before we start... I promise you, looking back at your life, there will be nothing as bitter as the memory of that glorious risk you prudently elected to forego. Today is your glory- Let's begin." Killian tried his hand at being inspirational.**

**The patient's faces glowed orange and many regrew previously lost limbs. Many began screaming. One of them began to lose control.**

Wanda and Pepper had cringed as soon as the screaming started, the rest of the room looking either horrified, shocked, or a mix of the two. Pepper cringed harder when she realized that that was what she had looked like. 

**"We gotta get out of here! We gotta get out of here! Get her out! Get them out of here!" Killian yelled.**

**"A bomb is not a bomb when it's a misfire. The stuff doesn't always work. Right, pal?"**

**"It's faulty, but you found a buyer, didn't you? Sold it to the Mandarin. Got you, pal," Tony said to himself.**

Tony wondered why he didn't look further, knowing he probably would have found evidence that the man was the Mandarin before discarding it- it's not worth dwelling on the past like that.

* * *

_Sorry for the delay, like I was saying- these always take forever. -Rose_


End file.
